When a city meets the waterfront, the landscape becomes a daily companion. When life meets the waterfront, “flow” becomes the most poetic narrator. It is not only the gentle trickle of water, but also the quiet passage of time. Under the vivid and mottled sunlight of northern China, a flowing garden inspires even greater reverie.
By magnifying the symbolic quality of “flow,” we envisioned a living garden whose edges are defined by water in motion. Every tactile surface is imbued with a sense of fluid elegance and bespoke artistry- subtly whispering: I wish to linger here, waiting for a serendipitous encounter with time.
Located at the confluence of three rivers, Tianjin has flourished since the Jin and Yuan dynasties, with the Grand Canal’s grain transport shaping its urban origins. The city’s identity is deeply intertwined with the cultural legacies of waterborne trade and maritime commerce. The convergence of rivers and sea—“He Hai Tong Jin”—is etched into the city’s very DNA.
In our design vision, inspired by the dialogue between urban life and nature, we sought to reintroduce a sense of ease and serenity into the bustle of city living. By weaving together the surrounding green infrastructure- including Changhong Park, Shuishang Park, and Nancuiping Park- we curated a flowing tapestry of nature. Anchored by the site’s unique character, the design celebrates a lifestyle aesthetic of gentle currents and artistic purity, offering a spatial narrative of vibrant without, tranquil within.
Stretching approximately 110 meters from north to south, the entrance façade is defined by a pure gray-white stone wall that frames the striking silhouette of native trees- powerful, upright, and full of life. These trees, once part of Nankai District’s collective memory, now offer shade and protection for a new chapter of urban living. Beneath the canopy, soft shrubs gently dissolve the boundaries of the city, while dappled shadows dance across the waterside and echo against the entry wall- together composing the opening scene of a poetic play of light and form.
Under the native Chinese scholar trees (Sophora japonica), we introduced layered plantings of lilac and spruce to enrich the woodland atmosphere. The integration of vegetation with permeable gravel surfaces enhances the ecological function of the parking area, blurring the line between infrastructure and habitat.
Taking water as the lifeblood of the site, we composed a sinuous, continuous waterline that guides movement and perception throughout the space. Its graceful curves transition fluidly between vertical and horizontal planes, echoing the rhythms of nature as they ripple through the environment.
The waterline glides along the subtly textured pale basin, revealing nuanced and intricate shifts in form. From every position and perspective, visitors encounter new visual expressions of water—ever-changing, poetic, and immersive.
As the spatial sequence transitions from the urban park to the residential courtyard, the atmosphere shifts from open to inward-looking. A natural elevation drop of approximately 6.5 meters creates favorable conditions for a multi-dimensional sunken garden. Inspired by a bejeweled necklace, the design strings together green islands along a continuous waterline. Echoing the water features of the outer park foyer, the garden—when viewed from above—resembles a green gemstone necklace nestled within the community.
At the heart of this floral composition, the light-toned curvilinear garden forms a vortex-like center- an homage to Gaudí’s famous words: “The straight line belongs to man, the curve belongs to God.”
Subtle shifts in elevation shape layered water features—trickling streams, bubbling springs, and gentle cascades- infusing daily life with the poetry of moving water.
Light-toned materials and dappled tree shadows intertwine like imprints on a sheer curtain- layer upon layer, gently capturing fleeting beauty in the hands of time.
Encircling the Necklace Garden, the surrounding clubhouse buildings form a multidimensional, immersive garden experience- where every window frames a vertical canvas of greenery. The interplay of sunlight and tree shadows transforms the space into a 360-degree time capsule of shifting light- a gift box of seasonal stories.
Amid the dappled woodland, river birch trees grow with untamed vitality, becoming both energetic anchors and rare natural treasures within the forest. In this landscape, both the viewer and the viewed become part of a living poem- where every glance reveals a moment of quiet beauty.
The embrace between plant and stone is one of nature’s oldest symbiotic pacts. Scattered beige stones- balanced in rhythm and scale- emerge like sculpted artifacts within a field of green, resembling celestial artworks crafted by time.
Between them, a silent dialogue unfolds: Even within the heart of stone, spring will find its bloom.
As the lightest of visitors, they feel more like an old friend quietly waiting- gently awakening the rhythm of nature. The delicate floral stream, the quiet grove of native trees- everything arrives just as it should. Serene, effortless, complete.
Flowing Through Time｜CNOOC · Jinhua Jiuzhang
Location: Nankai District, Tianjin, China
Site Area: 2,800 m²
Design Year: 2025
Completion Year: 2025
Client: China Overseas North Region, Tianjin
Landscape Design: Change Studio
Construction Documentation: Tianjin Jingyi
Architectural Design: HZS Architects
