Situated at 165 North Jiefang Road, Heping District, the former location of Butterfield & Swire is the heritage site under city/county protection and the important protection historic architecture in Tianjin and is now used as an office building.
Butterfield & Swire was opened jointly by British businessmen Swire and Buttrefield in Shanghai in 1867. It had monopolized Chinese shipping industry together with Jardine, Matheson & Co, Ltd. The Tianjin Branch of Butterfield & Swire was set up in 1881 and engaged in foreign trade and ocean shipping.
This two-storied brick-wood building with spacious rooms was put up in 1895, covering a floor space of some 1000 square meters and having a floor area of about 2200 square meters. The exteriors are dry walls and red bricks are used on the window trims.
The second floor features pilasters, arch windows and radial patterns. The building is symmetrically designed with the entrance in the middle, shaping like a Chinese character “凹”. The revolving door at the entrance is still in use.
