Taiwan Architecture Tour Guide: 7 Selected Spots

Performing Arts Center

Architect

OMA

Overview

The Taipei Performing Arts Center was completed in May 2022, designed by OMA. The building features a steel-frame structure and houses three distinct auditoriums: the spherical 800-seat "Globe Playhouse," the 1,500-seat "Grand Theatre," and the 800-seat "Blue Box." Its exterior is characterized by a striking composition where the volumes of these three auditoriums appear to be plugged into a central, rectangular glass prism.

Rem Koolhaas of OMA uses the term "Generic City" to address what is often called the "loss of spatial identity" that floods contemporary urban environments. In particular, Koolhaas notes that this phenomenon is most prominently visible in airports, which he identifies as the single most defining element of the Generic City.

In other words, mundane spaces like airports are inundating modern cities, particularly in the emerging economies of Southeast Asia. Within this trend of the contemporary Generic City, this building explores new possibilities for urban architecture. It treats the mundane, airport-like space as the "ground" of the design, superimposed with a patchwork of finishing materials serving as the "figure." For more details, please visit the link below.

http://jpn-architecture.com/prefectures/taiwan/taipei-oma

Dah Hsian Library, National Chengchi University

Architect

Jay Chiu (Chiu Wen-chieh)

Overview

The Daxian Library at National Chengchi University was completed in 2019, designed by Jay Chiu. The building's most defining feature is its structural framework. While the basement levels through the first floor utilize conventional cast-in-place reinforced concrete, the first through eighth floors adopt a precast concrete method, where premanufactured columns and beams are assembled on-site. This innovative approach cut the construction period down to just two years—half the four-year timeline typically required for a project of this scale.

This feat was made possible by BIM (Building Information Modeling). Traditional CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and 3D modeling contributed greatly to the industry by enabling digital drafting and perspective rendering, which radically reduced the immense effort previously spent on hand-drawn blueprints and physical scale models. However, much like hand-drawn counterparts, these tools only provide visual information. Based on the designs and perspectives produced by the architect, structural engineers, MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineers, and contractors still had to independently create structural designs, load calculations, shop drawings, cost estimations, and construction plans. In contrast, BIM is progressively transforming the construction industry as a tool that streamlines this entire communication process among architects, structural engineers, MEP experts, and contractors.

Unlike conventional 3D modeling, BIM goes beyond mere visual representation by linking precise data to every element in the digital model—including columns, beams, walls, floors, windows, building services, interior finishes, and furniture. This data encompasses structural calculation metrics like strength; regulatory compliance verifications such as illuminance, fire resistance, sky exposure plane, and floor area ratio; estimation values like unit prices and quantities; and logistics data regarding component dimensions and construction scheduling. Because all of this data is shared within a single cloud-based environment, any architectural modification made by the designer instantly updates the relevant information for all stakeholders, eliminating the massive, repetitive back-and-forth communication inherent to traditional workflows.

In the Daxian Library, the seamless and aesthetically beautiful integration of HVAC systems, electrical wiring, sprinklers, and fire shutters into the interior design is a direct testament to BIM-driven coordination. With conventional 2D drafting, on-site clashes—where concrete beams, structural steel, massive AC ducts, and electrical conduits physically intersect within ceilings and walls—were a frequent and problematic occurrence. Furthermore, because design disciplines have traditionally operated in silos, subsequent changes or additions in large-scale buildings often forced the sudden introduction of unplanned duct enclosures or furred walls, compromising the spatial beauty originally intended by the architect.

The reading areas cascade like terraced fields around a massive eight-story atrium. Furthermore, a cross-section of the typical floors can be surveyed from this central void, resulting in a design that allows the building's internal configuration to be understood in an instant.

For those in the reading areas, objects in their immediate surroundings—such as furniture, bookshelves, and cat-walks—are designed on a smaller, intimate scale. At the same time, users on the typical floors are given expansive views across the central void. This juxtaposition of familiar, domestic-scaled interiors against a visually grand, soaring space creates a unique sensation: despite being a university library, one feels plugged into a vibrant public realm. This masterfully orchestrated dimensional framework (scale) fosters an ideal environment for deep concentration, making it truly worthy of high praise.

Yilan County Government Building

Team Zoo / Atelier Zo

Overview

The Yilan County Government Hall was completed in 1997, designed by Atelier Zo. Serving as the government headquarters for Yilan County, which is located in northwestern Taiwan, the building is a reinforced concrete structure with four stories above ground and one basement level.

The most distinctive feature of this building is its architectural planning. While the floor plans basically utilize a single-loaded corridor system across all levels, these corridors are actually outdoors. This means that to move from one department to another, you must step outside into the open-air corridor. However, except for the summer months from June to September, Taiwan enjoys comfortable temperatures for the remaining eight months, which correspond to the spring and autumn shoulder seasons in Japan.

Interestingly, the service counters where local citizens actually visit are designed with wooden sliding doors that remain open to the outside. This creates a fascinating scene, making it look as though people are stepping over the threshold into a home facing a street, embodying a landscape unique to Taiwan.

At the same time, the outdoor, single-loaded corridors function perfectly in terms of architectural design. The corridors feature an outdoor finish that showcases the vernacular, local materials and textures characteristic of Atelier Zo (an approach rooted in Critical Regionalism). By seamlessly connecting the building's exterior façade with the semi-outdoor corridor design, a unified aesthetic is achieved.

In other words, through a schematized layout that clearly separates the corridors (outdoors) from the offices (indoors), the corridors where visitors walk become powerful, vernacular spaces. Meanwhile, the areas used by staff are transformed into modern, functional offices designed for a comfortable working environment. The outdoor corridors act as a buffer zone, smoothly bridging the gap between the exterior and interior. (This addresses a previous challenge seen in Nago City Hall in Okinawa, also designed by the same firm, where the striking exterior stood in sharp contrast to the ordinary office spaces inside).

Enabled by Taiwan's climate, this approach creates an enchanting, unique space that can only be experienced here.

Taichung Green Museumbrary

Architect

SANAA

Overview

The Taichung Green Museumbrary, designed by SANAA, opened in December 2025. It consists of eight separate buildings housing a library and a museum. These structures are scattered yet interconnected at their corners, giving visitors the sensation of moving between distinct, detached pavilions.

The ground floor functions primarily as a piloti structure, seamlessly integrating with the surrounding park. Notably, the first-floor "Main Lobby" serves as an exhibition space, yet it remains an outdoor area enclosed by expanded metal mesh. It feels as though a distinct volume of air has been intentionally designed, capturing the park's atmosphere through this mesh skin. While the expanded metal blurs the outside scenery, creating a space that feels detached from the surrounding park, the outdoor air and ambient sounds still flow in freely. This blurs the line between indoors and outdoors, creating a captivating illusion.

Since anyone can enter this three-dimensional volume of air for free, it truly serves as an extension of the park. It represents an unprecedented kind of space—one that blurs the boundaries between an exhibition area and an open piloti.

921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan

Architect

Jay Chiu Architects

Overview

The 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan opened in 2004 as a facility dedicated to documenting the architectural damage and subsequent reconstruction efforts following the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck on September 21, 1999. In 2009, the Chelungpu Fault Gallery—designed by Jay Chiu Architects—was completed, marking the full opening of the entire complex.

The structures that originally formed Guangfu Junior High School suffered catastrophic damage. The first floor of the North Building experienced a soft-story collapse, causing the entire building to compromise. The school featured a single-loaded corridor plan typical of school architecture, with repeating classroom layouts. Because the load-bearing shear walls dividing the classrooms were oriented only perpendicular to the direction of the seismic shaking—leaving the structure highly vulnerable to lateral forces in its longitudinal direction—the first floor suffered a complete soft-story failure. Furthermore, since the classrooms on the left and right sides of the building had been constructed during different periods, the collapse initiated from these structural weak points during the earthquake. The joints connecting the old and new sections also failed to withstand the seismic forces, collapsing and leaving only the newer sections standing.

The Chelungpu Fault Gallery, designed by Jay Chiu Architects, preserves the original sports field exactly as it was uplifted by the fault displacement. The tracks on the ground are clearly shifted both vertically and horizontally, allowing visitors to tangibly experience the immense scale and impact of the fault movement.

While we often see footage of collapsed buildings and ruptured ground on screens, it is rare to witness such destruction in reality. The ruins of these collapsed structures speak louder than words, conveying the sheer violence of the event at that moment. This remarkable facility allows visitors to truly feel the physical weight and presence of the buildings that surround us every day, which we so often take for granted. It is well worth a visit, even for those without a background in architecture.

Tainan Spring

Architect

MVRDV

Overview

"Tainan Spring," designed by the Dutch architectural firm MVRDV, opened in 2020. Since the 17th century, Tainan City had flourished as a water-oriented city driven by shipping and fishing industries. However, in 1983, a modern leisure and entertainment facility named "China-Town Mall" was built on the old harbor adjacent to the canal, which inadvertently caused the traditional Chinatown area to lose its vitality starting in the 1990s.

In response, the city government initiated a surrounding urban development plan in 2006, and the derelict 1980s mall was finally demolished in 2016. Rather than completely erasing the past, MVRDV chose a selective demolition approach. They retained parts of the existing concrete frame and removed the ceiling of the former basement parking lot to transform it into a sunken outdoor plaza. This created an open, airy outdoor space situated one level lower than the surrounding streets. Because children playing inside remain visible to pedestrians on the upper-level sidewalks at all times, they can play safely. This represents a highly rational approach to public safety and crime prevention through design, avoiding the security risks associated with isolated, deserted parks.

By undulating the ground surface and introducing water, the design successfully creates an urban lagoon. Children can be seen intuitively and physically engaging with the park, as if seeking refuge from the urban heat island effect. Another captivating feature is how the plaza spans multiple city blocks, seamlessly passing beneath existing road bridges. By painting both the remaining structural pillars from the selective demolition and the civil infrastructure columns an identical stark white, the bridge's overbearing presence is neutralized, converting it into an inviting, interior-like architectural feature. This project, which utilizes selective demolition to cultivate vibrant public plazas, is rarely seen in Japanese park planning and serves as an exemplary model that Japanese urban planning should actively learn from.

http://jpn-architecture.com/prefectures/taiwan/tainanspring

Kaohsiung Station

Architect

Mecanoo

Overview

Kaohsiung Station first opened in 1900. In 1941, during the period of Japanese rule, the historic Imperial Crown-style station building was completed. Following the relocation of the tracks underground in 2018, a brand-new station complex designed by Mecanoo was fully completed in 2025. The colonial-era station building has been carefully preserved and relocated to the site.

The underground concourse and the ground-level roundabout are seamlessly connected by a massive atrium, topped with a colossal canopy that transforms the space into a vibrant public plaza. This canopy extends from the central plaza in a cross-shaped configuration, stretching across multiple city blocks in all four cardinal directions. East and west, the structure cuts across major roads and connects via gentle slopes, creating an accessible rooftop park that serves as a pedestrian deck where people can gather and linger.

With the ceiling height peaking at the center of the main plaza, the canopy appears from below like a rolling cloud formation expanding outward in four directions. Conversely, from above, the rooftop functions as an elevated hill, offering panoramic views of the dense urban fabric of Kaohsiung. Surrounded by the high-density cityscape, this landscape is deliberately orchestrated to make visitors feel as though they are standing right at the center of the city’s grand stage.