sou fujimoto wins taiwan tower competition

'21st century oasis' by sou fujimoto architects, taichung city, taiwan
all images courtesy taiwan tower international competition + sou fujimoto architects


the proposal '21st century oasis' by japanese practice sou fujimoto architects in collaboration with taiwanese firm
fei & cheng associates has taken first place in the taiwan tower international competition for taichung city.
derived from the trunk of the taiwanese banyan tree, the ornate structural system will frame a semi-outdoor interior space
generating a dappled light quality as found beneath a leafy deciduous canopy. positioned within a green belt,
the building will become an urban retreat with a green rooftop 'island' floating 300 meters above the city.
representing the divine isle of formosa, the garden will reintroduce the beauty of nature into the urban fabric while
becoming a symbolic landmark visible from many points throughout the city.



conic building height atrium with perimeter ramp circulation


a variety of renewable energy systems and passive design techniques have been integrated into the design including
rainwater harvesting, solar hot water panels, wind turbines, photovoltaic cells, ground source heat pumps, desiccant air-handling
units and natural ventilation due to the inherent stack effect. mitigating the impact on infrastructure, the collection of systems will
reduce half of the consumption and carbon emissions. the exterior effect of the steel construction is produced with vertical and inclined
perimeter, inner and intermediate columns as well as spiral beams and roof beams. the presence of leaning vertical elements
- comprised of 80mm diameter hollow tubes - will provide lateral stability from wind and earthquakes loads. comprised of two intertwined
units, the spiral beams stitch together the outer and inner row of columns from the ground floor to the roof plane, preventing buckling
due to their slender proportions. a conic atrium is maintained within the center of the building's footprint spanning the
entire height of the tower.



view from the surrounding context


adjacent to cultural districts, the program will consist of museum and exhibition spaces. visitors circulate upwards via
an elevator placed within the acute point of the triangulated footprint. the facades contain LED lights which create an
airy and hazy effect which changes in color and intensity. the exterior transitions into a sleeping state creating a starry
illumination which evokes a similar effect of chinese lanterns.



base of the tower



aerial view of roof garden



roof garden planted with the native chinese pistache and oak trees



lobby



lobby



observatory



exhibition space



museum foyer


axonometric



elevation



eiffel tower vs. taiwan tower diagram



banyan tree and formosa elements within exterior



large surface area of the facade allows for many lighting schemes



(left) lighting effect derived from chinese lantern
(right) roof garden illuminated



(left) program
(right) traffic



facade lighting diagram



green roof, photovoltaic cells, wind turbine units



framing diagram



construction phasing diagram