SANAA wins taichung city cultural center competition

UPDATE: in august 2019, it was announced that the project would break ground the following september. on may 6, 2018, a redesigned version of the project was unveiled. the released renderings illustrate a more compact series of volumes, which, once approved, will be constructed on the northern edge of taichung’s shui nan smart park. read more about the plans below.

SANAA — the japanese firm led by kazuyo sejima and ryue nishizawa — has been selected (ahead of four other international shortlisted firms) to realize the ‘taichung city cultural center’ in taiwan. the competition sought out a vision for the development of taichung, a metropolis where arts and culture lie at the heart of its identity, while also being a key contributor to the economy and its presence on the global stage.

image courtesy of central news agency | main image courtesy of taichung city government

SANAA’s proposal, which has been conceived with local firm ricky liu & associates, is an abstracted arrangement of white cubic volumes. the façade is not composed of strict vertical walls, but rather a draped and curved transparent mesh exterior, which expresses movement and openness from both inside and outside. programs include permanent exhibition spaces, administration offices, multimedia and internet resource center, special collections area, and several reading zones and rooftop terraces, which are linked by floating walkways. these circulation belts are defined by architectural voids, continuing this feeling of physical lightness, as well as offering expansive views of the interior.

the original design for the project
image courtesy of SANAA / ricky liu & associates

the new ‘taichung city cultural center’ is part of a cultural park plan located in the gateway city district. it will assist taichung’s urban development and is set to become a landmark in taiwan’s third-largest city, linking tourism and municipal marketing resources to enhance its cultural brand. construction is expected to be completed in 2020, and the building will be officially launched in 2022.

the exterior has been designed to expresses movement and openness
image courtesy of SANAA / ricky liu & associates

internally, circulation routes are defined by architectural voids
image courtesy of SANAA / ricky liu & associates

a conceptual illustration of the project’s proposed interior
image courtesy of SANAA / ricky liu & associates

the cultural center is defined by a billowing mesh façade
image courtesy of SANAA / ricky liu & associates

floor plans
image courtesy of SANAA / ricky liu & associates

sectional drawings
image courtesy of SANAA / ricky liu & associates