[Built]  Competition - First Prize

In association with 
de Architekten Cie

Silver Award (Built Project), The International Awards for Liveable Communities 2012
Merit Award, the 2012 Taiwan Architecture Award
2012 Green Building Award

Location:  Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Project Team:  Kwantak AUYEUNG, Yachih KUO, Fenlan CHEN, Mavis LIU, Yayun WANG,  J. Hsiu, J. Yang, W. Lo, Y. Mai, C. Chen, Y. Lee, H. Shen, I. Shr, Y. Huang, R. Huang, B. Guo, S. Wang (Project team), Wei Cheng LI, Yonghao CHEN, Chih-Hung WANG,  Wanzhen CHEN, Qi Yang HUANG, Binghong MA (Construction supervision)
Total Floor Area:  36470 m2
Project year:  2007-2012
Photographer: Guei-Shiang Ke, Yu-lin Chen

Da-dong Arts Center is located in Kaohsiung, the economic center of southern Taiwan. Connecting the dense context of historic Feng-Shan city, a major park, and the Feng-Shan River, the Arts Center creates a sequence of public spaces by means of membrane-covered interstitial open space between three major volumes- theater, exhibition hall, and the art education center.
Linked by the newly completed metro line, Da-dong Arts Center and Mecanoo’s National Performing Arts Center (3 stops away) will programmatically complement each other and form an art district in metropolitan Kaohsiung.
The intensive use of public space by activities such as dance, Tai-Chi and various games characterizes outdoor use in Taiwanese cities. A membrane roof creates a shaded condition for a wide range of activities. The roof shape prevents against extreme climatic conditions such as typhoon, periodically strong rain and high summer temperature. Wide holes in the roof guide the water to inner springs. Warm air rises to the top roof openings generating a fresh inner draft. A 800-seat theater and a small rehearsal hall, cladded in wood and perforated metal, are center pieces of the program. The theater is designed as a wood volume contained inside the X-shaped concrete facade. The facade of the whole project is homogenous, yet implies the program inside by subtle changes in density.
In order to achieve optimal acoustics in both music and theater use, the ceiling of the auditorium is adjustable according to music and theater modes. Sound absorption materials are also retractable behind the wood lamella.
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