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