Archinect - News

MVRDV-designed 'Sun Rock' offers itself an embodiment of Taiwan's carbon-free future

2022-01-18T16:48:00-05:00

One of Taiwan’s largest public utility companies is ready to make a bold statement about its intentions with a new operations storage facility from MVRDV called "Sun Rock" that will play a significant part in the country’s transition to a green energy economy. This is the firm’s second recent effort in the country behind the Tainan Spring adaptive reuse project that was announced in March of 2020.

Billed as a “manifesto in a building,” Sun Rock’s energy-saving effects are produced by a large dome and sloping southern front made functional by a series of pleats covered in PV panels that help the building generate up to a remarkable 1.7 million kWh of clean energy in a given year. The building includes a maintenance workshop, gallery spaces, roof terrace, and a special data display room that has all been made available to the public in an effort to showcase the shared goal of sustainability which defines both the country and firm.

Image: © MVRDV

“Of course, we aim to make all of our p...

Mecanoo converts former urban railway line into green corridor in Taichung, Taiwan

2021-10-22T14:56:00-04:00

Mecanoo, in collaboration with S.D. Atelier Design & Planning, has completed the redevelopment of a 1.7-kilometer-long former railway line into a green corridor featuring an herb garden, fitness areas, playground, viewpoint, and waterpark in Taichung, Taiwan.

The aim of the project was to reimagine and reconnect a historic, disused railway that, due to its challenging location, has served as more of a barrier, impeding circulation from each side of it. The design, thus, opens the railway to the city via a green corridor that fosters biodiversity in order to meet the needs of the community. Bike and pedestrian lanes were also added to meet this goal.

As per the architects: “Within this linear site, the sustainable development covered a wide range of planning and design factors including urban regeneration, public participation, historic preservation, green and water resources, and circulation routes for pedestrians and bikes. Relying on Mecanoo’s extensive urban planning experience...

WOHA completes mixed-use 'Sky Green' development

2019-12-09T17:56:00-05:00

Back in 2012, the Taichung City Government and Feng Chia University invited WOHA to bring its "Breathing Architecture" exhibition to the city. Initially a part of the city government's Gateway Project Masterplan, the exhibition built on ideas focusing on the design principles of sustainability, low carbon emissions, and smart cities.

The first of it's kind in Taichung, WOHA was commissioned to design a green and sustainable mixed-use develop within the city. Dubbed "Sky Green," the project contains residential apartments, retail shops, and recreational facilities, all dispersed within two towers.

The Tower A apartments sport extended balconies, each with its own tree. The Tower B units have a more subtle green mesh-like facade. And at every 5 floors are Skygardens, allowing a natural flow of air while providing users a connectivity to the outside.

“We are very happy to have been a part of this collaboration between policy makers, academia and the private sector to design the future...

SANAA wins Taichung City Cultural Center competition

2013-09-11T15:43:00-04:00

The highly popular Taichung City Cultural Center International Competition in Taiwan just announced its much anticipated list of winners, and it's the Pritzker Prize-winning team of Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA with local partner Ricky Liu & Associates to snatch the top honors.

SANAA's winning ensemble of playfully arranged white, translucent boxes beat out designs by the four other recently shortlisted teams including Peter Eisenman Architects, Jean-loup Baldacci, MASS STUDIES and Stücheli Architekten.

Click here to see more News posts about the Taichung City Cultural Center competition.

Taichung City Cultural Center Entry by Patrick Tighe Architecture

2013-07-22T17:02:00-04:00

Here's another entry to the recent Taichung City Cultural Center competition in Taiwan (previously on Bustler). This submission was designed by Southern Californian firm Patrick Tighe Architecture, currently featured at MOCA's exhibition A New Sculpturalism, Contemporary Architecture from Southern California.

Taichung City Cultural Center Entry by Tom Wiscombe Design

2013-07-15T19:00:00-04:00

We keep receiving a steady stream of design entries to the Taichung City Cultural Center competition in Taiwan [...], some of which we have already been able to publish. Today's entry was designed by LA-based studio Tom Wiscombe Design.

To see more Taichung City Cultural Center entries, click here.

Taichung City Cultural Center Entry by OXO Architects + Nicolas Laisné Architecte Urbaniste

2013-07-11T14:52:00-04:00

French firms OXO architects and Nicolas Laisné Architecte Urbaniste have sent us "TCC Garden," the team's joint entry to the Taichung City Cultural Center competition in Taiwan

To see more Taichung City Cultural Center entries, click here.

Taichung City Cultural Center Entry by KAMJZ

2013-06-24T16:00:00-04:00

Polish architecture & urban design firm KAMJZ has sent us its very intriguing entry to the Taichung City Cultural Center competition in Taiwan (previously on Bustler). The scheme is a collaborative effort together with Buro Happold.

To see more Taichung City Cultural Center entries, click here.

Taichung City Cultural Center Entry by Architecton

2013-06-10T17:34:00-04:00

Since announcing the five shortlisted finalists to Taiwan's Taichung City Cultural Center competition last week, we have been receiving a steady stream of further competition entries from around the world. Here's one from Moscow-based firm Architecton which moves the "Gate" metaphor to the core of its design concept.

To see more Taichung City Cultural Center entries, click here.

Taichung City Cultural Center Entry by Sériès et Sériès

2013-06-04T16:07:00-04:00

French-Californian practice Sériès et Sériès has shared with us its entry to Taiwan's Taichung City Cultural Center competition [...]. The design team's engineering partner was Buro Happold.

To see more Taichung City Cultural Center entries, click here.

Taichung City Cultural Center Entry by Maxthreads

2013-06-03T19:42:00-04:00

Five teams have recently been shortlisted as stage one winners in the international architecture competition for the design of a new City Cultural Center in Taichung, Taiwan. Taichung, after the merger of Taichung City and Taichung County the third largest city in Taiwan, established this competition to distinguish itself from the other major Taiwanese cities, Taipei and Kaohsiung.

The five shortlisted teams are:

Stücheli Architekten AG / Mathis Tinner (Switzerland)
MASS STUDIES / Minsuk Cho (South Korea)
Eisenman Architects, PC / Peter Eisenman (USA)
Jean-loup Baldacci (France)
SANAA / Kazuyo Sejima (Japan)

The jury will announce the stage two results at the end of August.

Following is the entry to the Taichung City Cultural Center competition we have received from Scottish practice Maxthreads Architectural Design and Planning.

To see more Taichung City Cultural Center entries, click here.

UPDATE: SANAA wins Taichung City Cultural Center competition