Garden in the Park, Taichung Cultural Center, Taiwan Building Design, Taiwanese Architecture

Garden in the Park Cultural Center, Taiwan

Contemporary Taiwanese Building Proposal – design by Cristina Parreno Architecture

20 Jun 2013

Taichung Cultural Center Design

Design: Cristina Parreno Architecture

Location: Taichung, Taiwan

Garden in the Park Cultural Center Proposal

image from architect

CULTURAL LANDMARK: THE FIGURE 8

A SHOW CASE FOR GREATER TAICHUN’S PROSPER CULTURAL AMBIANCE

The museum and the library are located in two distinct circular buildings that intersect with each other generating a figure eight in plan. Both programs function as independent buildings with separate access and security control, but they are spatially integrated with each other.

The figure eight becomes a distinguished feature of the project providing a volume/height factor which influence is in harmony with the environment.

In ancient China the circle became an important cultural symbol. It represents satisfaction, harmony and the balance of ying and yang, the duality of nature. It demonstrates the Chinese cognitive style to “put oneself in the place of the other” and to think and proceed from outward appearance to inner essence. 8 Taichung Cultural Center will exemplify her residents, history and urban identity.

image from architect

INTERAGRATION IN THE EXISTING PEDESTRIAN NETWORKS

A PATH OF LANDMARKS

When Taichung Cultural Center is inserted in the site, it will complete the existing bike and pedestrian networks, solidifying the connections among the main focal points in the park: Taichung Tower, Taichung Gateway Park the Convention Center and Taichung Cultural Center. These 4 focal points are important cultural, educational and leisure landmarks in Taichung district.

Taichung Cultural Center is landmark and path, park and building, journey and destination. It will be an attraction point with specific events but it will also serve as a comforting resting place for the surrounding campus and the adjacent cultural areas. The building provides a plaza like space in direct continuation to the green belt. The exterior spiral of the building provides a three dimensional continuation of the greenery and garden.

images from architect

ICONIC CULTURAL GATEWAY

The heart of the cultural center is the midpoint of the figure eight, the moment where the program of the library and the museum intersect. This area is totally open in the ground floor providing a distinct gate from Park avenue2 to Taichung Gateway Park. The project will integrate parkland landscape to form a key cultural landmark and entryway gesture into Taichung Gateway Park.

TWO TYPOLOGIES IN ONE BUILDING

The library is generated by a double helix that creates two distinct areas, one interior and one exterior. The interior part of the double helix is a vertical garden that wraps the building; it’s an exterior circulation that allows visitors to get to the garden rooftop.

The double helix has a big roof at the top that contains the main reading area. This roof generates a big atrium in the middle of the double helix; a big interior urban room, space for the main lobby, exhibitions, book shops, cafés etc.

The museum is generated by a single helix in order to provide full 6.5m height floor to ceiling. In this case the middle of the helix is an open green courtyard in direct continuation with Taichung Park. This open space will provide a comforting resting space for the surroundings of the campus and it will host night and day open air events that will attract visitors aside from the users of the cultural center.

Garden in the Park Cultural Center images / information from Cristina Parreno Architecture

Location: Taichung, Taiwan