Taipei Public Library and Concert Hall
Taipei Public Library and Concert Hall
- LOCATION
Taipei, Taiwan
- CLIENT
Taipei City Government, Public Works Department, Hydraulic Engineering Office
- CATEGORY
Cultural
Performing Arts Centers - GROSS BUILDING FLOOR AREA (Approx.)
87,745 ㎡
- DESIGN YEAR
2022
The distinct location of the Taipei Public Library and Concert Hall sets it apart from other performance venues in the city. Extending a grid-like urban fabric across the site, the project echoes the historical context of the old Liugong Canal while surrounded by a network of crisscrossing alleys that evoke the human scale of Taipei’s East District. Tucked within these narrow lanes are charming independent shops, cafés, and restaurants, forming a vibrant mixed-use environment that defines the local streetscape. By scaling the complex down to an more intimate, pedestrian-friendly level, KYA aims to create a unique music center and library “amid the streets.” Ground-level passageways, semi-outdoor spaces, and retail shops integrate seamlessly with the neighboring alleys, allowing visitors to pass through freely, while accommodating both formal and informal cultural events.
The roof takes the form of two concave arcs, which on one hand reduce the large mass of the building, and on the other, form a distinct silhouette that will be recognizable from a distance. The design of the facade was inspired by the ancient bamboo slips once used for writing documents, and the simple lines of the Western musical stave; it has great simplicity, yet it encompasses spaces of great complexity.
There are three formal performance venues: a 1,500-seat symphony hall, a 600-seat multimedia space, and a 500-seat conference center, each contained in a light box. When night falls, these boxes will radiate a gentle, warm light, casting a romantic glow over the neighboring streets.
The new cultural convention will have two main components: a library to the north, and a music center to the south. The former is intended to be “a library of the future”—no longer simply a place to read and borrow books, but rather a space in which people can gather to exchange knowledge and ideas. It will become an “information exchange,” or a “shared communication lounge,” where people can read, meet, and cultivate their minds.
Likewise, the music center is intended to be a concert hall for the people, able to cater for professional performances, yet flexible enough to allow for more impromptu events. The technical equipment in the 1,500-seat symphony hall will meet the highest international standards, allowing the hall to compete with the best music venues in the world. Pockets of free space here and there will then overturn the traditional divide between performer and audience, providing visitors with places where they will be free to watch, perform, or otherwise participate as they please. In the same spirit, the complex will free up numerous urban rest-stops throughout for public use, including the front plaza, green belts, and the broad steps leading up to the entrance, as well as the elevated platform, shared lobby, and roof garden.
With its variety of spatial depths, elegance of architectural forms, and wealth of programs, the Taipei Public Library and Concert Hall will become a new cultural landmark, fully aware of the community it serves and the symbol it bears. Together, we patiently await its completion.
The roof takes the form of two concave arcs, which on one hand reduce the large mass of the building, and on the other, form a distinct silhouette that will be recognizable from a distance. The design of the facade was inspired by the ancient bamboo slips once used for writing documents, and the simple lines of the Western musical stave; it has great simplicity, yet it encompasses spaces of great complexity.
There are three formal performance venues: a 1,500-seat symphony hall, a 600-seat multimedia space, and a 500-seat conference center, each contained in a light box. When night falls, these boxes will radiate a gentle, warm light, casting a romantic glow over the neighboring streets.
The new cultural convention will have two main components: a library to the north, and a music center to the south. The former is intended to be “a library of the future”—no longer simply a place to read and borrow books, but rather a space in which people can gather to exchange knowledge and ideas. It will become an “information exchange,” or a “shared communication lounge,” where people can read, meet, and cultivate their minds.
Likewise, the music center is intended to be a concert hall for the people, able to cater for professional performances, yet flexible enough to allow for more impromptu events. The technical equipment in the 1,500-seat symphony hall will meet the highest international standards, allowing the hall to compete with the best music venues in the world. Pockets of free space here and there will then overturn the traditional divide between performer and audience, providing visitors with places where they will be free to watch, perform, or otherwise participate as they please. In the same spirit, the complex will free up numerous urban rest-stops throughout for public use, including the front plaza, green belts, and the broad steps leading up to the entrance, as well as the elevated platform, shared lobby, and roof garden.
With its variety of spatial depths, elegance of architectural forms, and wealth of programs, the Taipei Public Library and Concert Hall will become a new cultural landmark, fully aware of the community it serves and the symbol it bears. Together, we patiently await its completion.
