RUR Architecture's (formerly Reiser + Umemoto) 756,000-square-foot Performance Hall at the Taipei Music Center (TMC) has officially opened with its first concert planned to take place this month. Located in the Nangung District, the project sits on a 9-hectare site in Taipei and is dedicated to the performance, production, and celebration of pop music in Asia.

"Ten years ago, the outskirts of Taipei were characterized by industrial areas situated right up against verdant, forested hills," said Jesse Reiser, Principal at RUR in a statement. "There was, and still is, no gradual transition of city to suburbs – in fact no suburbs at all. The effect of that contrast is a striking juxtaposition between city and nature. Once the old industry was removed and the Taipei Music Center was constructed, we found that nature and new architecture amplified each other’s beauty. Taipei Music Center functions as a discrete urban organism within the natural landscape, an urban peninsula connected to the city yet independent and extending beyond it into nature."

The Performance Hall is designed for indoor and outdoor performances, seating 6000 inside and accommodating several hundred outside at the public plaza. The defining feature of the structure is its series of geometric volumes, meant to tie the building into the surrounding terrain and landscape.

The spatial dynamics are further emphasized inside the building, with sweeping curves and overlapping forms, creating an experience of undulation and uncertainty. The architecture's expression of fluidity and compositional variety compliment its focus as a center for musical appreciation.

The Performance Hall is one of the three major buildings in RUR's masterplan, along with the Exhibition Hall and the Creative Area Building. Ko Wen-je, the Mayor of Taipei City, said in a statement: "Our priority was to create a landmark building for the people of Taipei that at the same time provides necessary support to the pop music industry. The unique mountain-like eye-catching geometry designed by RUR Architecture from New York allows us to reemphasize the Taiwanese pop music industry as playing a leading role in Mandarin and Asian pop music."

The opening concert, planned for September 5th will feature performers including Karencici (林愷倫), Boon Hui Lu (文慧如), MurMurShow (慢慢說樂團), Accusefive (告五人), PiHai Ryan (屁孩Ryan) and Shou (婁峻碩). The TMC has initiated strict measures for public safety, including temperature checks and the wearing of masks.