WEI-WU-YING CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, TAIWAN
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For animation films go to: www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EDFA74DDED36E274
Wei-Wu-Ying Center for the Perfoming Arts, Kaohsiung/National Kaohsiung Performance Arts Center
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The Wei-Wu-Ying Metropolitan Park, the site of a former military complex, is the location for the new Wei-Wu-Ying Center for the Performing Arts of Taiwan. The complex features a concert hall, an opera house, a theatre, a black box, and an open air theatre. Hosting a total of 5,800 seats and the most technologically advanced theatre facilities, the new cultural complex will draw world class performing artists and theatre companies. The National Performing Arts Center will become the new icon of the city of Kaohsiung, the largest harbour city of Taiwan and one of the largest harbour cities in the world with 1.5 million inhabitants. By building the Performing Arts Center, the city will symbolize its evolution from a harbour city to a modern cultural city. The high-speed train between Taipei and Kaohsiung was completed this year and the new city metro system is slated for completion within two years. The surrounding 65 hectare park is an integral part of the design brief.
Francine Houben, director of Mecanoo architecten, presented the winning competition design to an international jury of architects, theatre specialists and impresarios. Mecanoo’s design was unanimously selected because of the building’s strength in expression, the integration of the complex with the park, efficient logistical planning, advanced theatre design and facility techniques and the building design’s response to the subtropical climate of the city of Kaohsiung.
Banyan trees
An important source of inspiration for Mecanoo’s building design were the existing centuries-old banyan trees on location. The banyan tree is one of the world’s largest trees. The crown of the Banyan tree can grow so wide that according to legend, Alexander the Great took shelter underneath it with his entire army. Mecanoo’s building complex is 200 metres wide and 160 metres deep. Because of the openings in the roof, the passageways and open spaces, an almost porous building is created in which interior and exterior blur. The partially grass and plant covered roof creates natural and efficient building cooling in the subtropical climate. The large roof also provides an informal public space where the city residents can stroll, practice Tai Chi, mediate or just relax. Inspired by old Greek theatre, an open-air theatre was designed on the roof complex at the point where the roof dips to the ground. The surrounding park in turn becomes an informal stage.
Merge
Mecanoo designed the surrounding park with light slopes, valleys and water pools creating intimate public spaces varying in size, scale and proportion. Meandering paths lead to a botanical garden, a bamboo grove, a playground, a tea pavilion and a butterfly garden. The park design is a logical continuation of the theater complex with its public open spaces and roofscape. Building and landscape merge naturally, forming a unified whole.