National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts | Mecanoo
Xinxing District, Taiwan
Photo credit: Shawn Liu Studio
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PROJECT DETAILS:
Location: No. 1, Sanduo 1st Road, Fengshan District, Kaohsiung City, 83075 Taiwan
Client: Ministry of Culture
Programme: Theatre complex of 141,000 m2 in the Wei-Wu-Ying Metropolitan Park with a total capacity of 5,861 seats: Concert Hall 1,981 seats, Opera House 2,236 seats, Playhouse 1,210 seats, Recital Hall 434 seats, a public library of 800 m2, 1,000 m2 of rehearsal/education halls for music and dance, 2 conference halls with 100 and 200 seats and stage building workshops. Including 7ha landscape.
Architect: Mecanoo architecten, Delft, the Netherlands
Local partner: Archasia Design Group, Taipei, Taiwan
Partner in charge: Francine Houben
Project architect: Nuno Fontarra
Project director: Friso van der Steen
Design Team: Aart Fransen, Bohui Li, Ching-Mou Hou, Danny Lai, Frederico Francisco, Jaytee van Veen, Joost Verlaan, Leon van der Velden, Magdalena Stanescu, Nicolo Riva, Rajiv Sewtahal, Reem Saouma, Sander Boer, Sijtze Boonstra, Wan-Jen Lin, Yuli Huang, William Yu, Yun-Ying Chiu.
Site supervision: Archasia Design Group, Taiwan
Consultants
Structural engineer: Supertech, Taiwan
Mechanical engineer: Yuan Tai, Taiwan
Electrical engineer: Heng Kai, Taiwan
Acoustic consultant: Xu-Acoustique, France
Theatre consultant: Theateradvies, The Netherlands; Yi Tai, Taiwan
Lighting consultant: CMA lighting, Taiwan
Fire safety: Ju Jiang, Taiwan
Organ consultant: Oliver Latry, France
Roof and façade consultant: CDC, USA
3D consultant: Lead Dao, Taiwan
Traffic consultant: SU International, Taiwan
Materials
Roofing: BEMO, Germany
Theatre seating: KOTOBUKI SEATING CO., LTD, Japan
Stage systems: Waagner Biro, Austria
Organ: Orgelbau Klais, Germany
Steel structure: Chun Yuan Steel Industry Co., Ltd, Taiwan
Steel skin of Banyan Plaza: Ching Fu Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., Taiwan + CIG, The Netherlands
Glass: Taiwan glass group, Taiwan
Curtain wall: He-Tai Co., Ltd., Taiwan
GRG panels: Hung Meng International Development Co., Ltd., Taiwan
Calcium silicate board: Wellpool Co., Ltd., Taiwan
Carpet: Chin Chin Carpet, Taiwan
Wood flooring and handrails: Jin-Bai Co., Ltd., Taiwan
Stone flooring: GS granite Co., Ltd., Taiwan
Wooden acoustic panels: He-Zhong Co., Ltd., Taiwan
Fire retardant soundproofing door: Li-Yan Co., Ltd., Taiwan
Sanitary ware: HCG, Taiwan
Stage lifts system: Gala Systems, Canada
Stage systems: Waagner Biro, Austria
Lighting: Lighting Etc., USA & Philips, The Netherlands
Stage curtains: Showtex, Belgium
Line array: Renkus Heinz, USA
Mixing desk: Studer, Switzerland
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The National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts symbolizes the transformation of Kaohsiung, once a major international harbour, into a modern, diverse city with a rich cultural climate. The design is located on a former military terrain, as an integral part of the adjacent subtropical park to have a positive social impact on the residents of Kaohsiung, whose population counts almost 3 million.
The open, protective shape of the local banyan tree becomes a springboard for the design. Their iconic, wide crowns provide shelter against sun and rain and are a perfect expression of Kaohsiung's humid atmosphere. The building’s expansive sheltered crown becomes the Banyan Plaza, a generous, sheltered, partially enclosed public space. Designed with the subtropical climate in mind, the open structure allows the cooling wind to blow freely through Banyan Plaza.
Between the four formal performance halls, which form the ‘trunks’ that support the undulating roof, a topography rising from ground level to plus five metres becomes part of the park’s landscape. Residents can wander through here day and night, practise Tai Chi or stage street performances along walkways and in informal spaces. An open-air theatre nestles on the roof where the structure curves to the ground, with the surrounding park forming the stage. The seamless flow between interior and exterior creates opportunities for crossovers between formal and informal performances.
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The vast, undulating structure is composed of a skin and roof and connects an extensive range of functions. The curved steel structure was built in cooperation between a local and a Dutch shipbuilder. The Centre’s iconic canopy — a billowing plane of architectural fabric akin to a tectonic plate — forms the conceptual foundation of the project. This undulating roof is a marvel of structural engineering, with one side scooped out to form a beautifully landscaped amphitheatre for a plethora of outdoor performances.
7 hectares of landscape, balanced between hard and soft landscaping accommodate event spaces and logistical access while creating a gradient of green towards the neighbouring Weiwuying park.
Inside, curving walls expand and contract like the branches of a banyan tree, creating organic spaces for playing, making, viewing art and taking in performances. The scale of the project is virtually unprecedented, yet the character of each space remains welcoming and accessible to its inhabitants.