Taiwan Architecture Awards 2011, Architect, Picture, Taiwanese Building, Design, News

Taiwan Architecture Awards

Buildings + Architects – Winners

8 Nov 2011

Taiwan Architecture Awards 2011

After visiting each project in the shortlist located throughout the island and a long debate following the trips, the five judges of the 2011 Taiwan Architecture Awards decided to give two first prizes.

Hsieh Yin-Chun, who was just awarded the Curry Stone Design Prize, is given the laurel of 2011 Taiwan Architecture Award by his refugee house for Qinhe Tribe in the remote mountain area in southern Taiwan.

The homeland of indigenous Qinhe Tribe was destroyed by the devastating deluge in 2009, since that time the area has been under constant threat of storms or torrential rains.

Qinhe Refugee Center:

photographs from Taiwan Architecture Awards

Despite the fact that Hsieh’s recent projects are all simply built structures for refugees suffering from natural disasters, the judges unanimously agree that Hsieh’s work fulfills all the conditions of excellent architecture- community oriented, meeting the needs of users, solving the problems of environmental limitations with outstanding design. The judges are impressed that even in such a simplistic and experimental project with extremely insufficient budget, the refuge house has presented great architectural and aesthetic achievement.

In addition to the collective effort of tribe people in making use of available materials, the humanistic touches of details, such as doors and ladders, radiate with beauty. The bio-septic tanks for outhouses Hsieh has tried and improved for years are also a success for a place impossible to have flush toilets. The spacious rooms, showers and balconies of each unit of the refugee house give a feel of home, when tribe people have to stay here they will be hopeful.

Xiangshang Administration Center:

photographs from Taiwan Architecture Awards

Japanese architect Norihiko Dan’s Xiangshan Administration Center for the Sun Moon Lake is highly praised by all the judges for it’s marvelous integration to the environment. Its minimalist style was celebrated by painstakingly preforged concrete slabs, and the nature of building materials are subtly presented. The shape of the structure forms a frame for visitors to enjoy the landscape of the Sun Moon Lake. A shallow pond extends along the site borrows the scene from the surrounding landscape through the reflections over water, giving out a tranquil ambiance of Zen. Sunlight creates changing visual effects inside and outside the substantial and insubstantial spaces.

A foreign architect whose love and respect to local culture is fully told through his humble gesture which nevertheless expresses his splendid design skills. Xianshan Administration Center has set a paradigm of how architecture should be responding to the environment- it serves the environment instead of the ambition of becoming a landmark.

The annual Taiwan Architecture Awards are organized by the Taiwan Architect Magazine.

Taiwan Architecture Awards 2011 images / information from Taiwan Architect Magazine

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29 Oct 2008

2008 Taiwan Architecture Awards

Interior of the Far East Telecom

photograph : Yiu Hung-Hsiang

The 30th Taiwan Architecture Awards revealed: after hot debates, the five judges awarded two First Prize, they are the Far East Telecom Building by ARCTANGENT aRCHITECTURE + dESIGN and the Redevelopment of the Old Loudong Wood Farm by Field Office.

Loudong Wood Farm

photograph : Office Field

Far East Telecom Building is located on the campus of the Yuan Ze University, a new university founded by the Far East Group. This building consists classrooms, labs, faculty offices, conference halls and auditoriums. The judges agreed that this project has successfully created a flowing space not only visually but also physically through the seemingly randomly extending stairs. The designer Kyle C. K. Yang said he was inspired by the cyber structure of the Internet, and his spatial arrangement attempts to reduce individual, separated rooms for classes while increasing open space where students are able to learn with encouraged interactions.

Hsinkang Art High

photograph : Marc Gerristen

The judges were impressed by such a huge volume still can be well presented by concrete slabs. The masterly application of architectural elements has wonderfully created a flowing poetry in spaces. Yang’s ambition to challenge the existing constructing technology available in Taiwan and the explosive energy he has demonstrated in such a task is one of the reasons he is awarded with the First Prize.

Hsinkang Art High

photograph : Fanjiang Mu-Chi

The Redevelopment of the Loudong Wood Farm is a project of at least five phases, and to architect Huang Sheng-Yuan, it is an endless project for himself and for local people. Canopies and wooden bridges are transformed from the most common structures in the rainy Loudong, they provide very relaxing spaces for local people to exercise, to take a walk, or to gather together simply for chatting. In the future a Sky Art Gallery and two stages for concerts among other facilities will be built for diversified events and performances.

Exterior of the Far East Telecom

photograph : Yiu Hung-Hsiang

It is an usual thing to award a project only 30% completed, but the judges wish to honor it because they are moved by Huang’s long time devotion in this place and his effort in communicating with not only the county councilors and local elected officials but also everyone concerns in this neighborhood. Though most of the structures are not yet erected, the accomplished 30% has set out a much more significant starting point for quality urban and rural planning as well as more realistic and sincere public involvement.

Well-Tempered Clavier

photograph : Hsu Jin-Yiao Architect and Associates

Another three Honorable Mentions are Hsinkang Art High School (master plan and all buildings, including two old houses renovation on the site), Student Gymnasium of the Hisndien High School and a collective housing titled “Well-Tempered Clavier”.
Taiwan Architecture Awards is organized by the Taiwan Architect Magazine. Over the past 30 years the Awards have been looking for value and perspective that can best present Taiwanese architecture.

Gymnasium of the Hsindien High

photograph : Cheng Jin-Ming

The judges of the 2008 Taiwan Architecture Awards were:
J.J. Pan– J.J. Pan Architect and Associates Luo Shih-Wei– Associate Professor, Architecture Department, Tunghai University Chang Ching-Hwa– Architect, Bioarch Bee Kuang-Chien– Associate Professor, Architecture Department, Tankang University Victor Y.C. Hsu — Victor Hsu Architects ? Associates

Gymnasium of the Hsindien High

photograph : Cheng Jin-Ming