king shih architects: taipei flora expo

‘2010 taipei international flora expo’ by king shih architects in taipei, taiwan all images courtesy of king shih architects photographer: marc gerritsen

as a part of this year’s taipei international gardening and horticulture exposition, taiwanese architectural firm king shih architects has designed and completed a 1200-seat expo hall in the fine arts museum park in taipei, taiwan. authorized by the international association of horticultural producers (AIPH), the event is the first time taiwan is to sponsor the international flora exposition.

designated for a central location of the park called ‘global garden area’, the project consists of three separate structures: the cocoon-like ‘expo hall’, also known as the ‘butterfly hall’; the ‘gift shop pavilion’, composed of six flower-shaped units; and an ‘outlook pavilion’ from which the entire park can be seen. the overarching aim of the design was to incorporate clear themes of taiwanese influence into the architecture such as a popular local bamboo-weaving pattern and a linear color arrangement commonly found in aborigine knitting work.

interior view looking from structural arch

the largest indoor space on the exposition site, the expo hall’s overall form resembles a steel and polycarbonate butterfly chrysalis. constructed out of a structural web of primary and secondary steel members, the design reduces the unit steel weight by 15% when compared to a conventional truss system. the primary arch members, which vary in span from 35 to 65 meters, provide the main load-bearing structure and shape, while the secondary net member spans diagonally, providing a steel skin to the hall. to accentuate the resulting geometric pattern, two tones of polycarbonate panels were inlaid to form an arrangement of repeated triangles and hexagons on the surface.

to provide the shortest as well as the most even sightlines, the seating of the hall is arranged in a concentric fashion. natural light and ventilation methods are utilized for the interior microclimate, except for the stage area where spot cooling is provided.

view of service entry

interior view from stage

exterior daytime view

gutter detail

main entry

structural detail

panoramic exterior view of the ‘gift shop pavilion’

composed of three one-storey and three two-story flower-shaped units, the ‘gift shop pavilion’ employs a cantilevered steel structure to provide an unobstructed view of the surrounding park. a central column shaft, which also provides mechanical services, is the main structural support in the umbrella-like steel construction. a system of weaved bamboo screens are the only boundaries to the overall open-air design.

back elevation

night view with the expo hall in the background

bridge leading to the pavilion

weaved bamboo screen

back elevation of ‘outlook pavilion’

located on the park’s pre-existing terrain, the ‘outlook pavilion’ provides free seating for visitors to pause and observe the surrounding grounds. constructed of a folded-plate, reinforced concrete structure, the interior ceiling is treated with intricate mosaic work featuring a linear colour sequence. the exterior facades display an architectural concrete finish imprinted with pine grains from formwork panels.

mosaic pattern on the interior