Tianjin, as a harbor city where many major railway lines and roads meet, represents a central transport hub to the south of Beijing. The West Station lies on the high-speed stretch of railway between Beijing and Shanghai, where 24 railway lines meet. "The railway hall in Tianjin is a reversal of the typical type of hall that shelters the platforms and tracks (...) The barrel vault is contained by a right-angled structure on four square pillars, as is typical of many functional and commercial buildings by gmp", summarizes the architecture critic Bernhard Schulz in a detailed essay, in which he illuminates the particularities of the train station, as well as its classical references. This is supplemented by commentaries by the responsible architects about the project.