Taiwan Tower Competition
The Taiwan Tower is an international design competition hosted by the Taichung City Government, Taiwan, R.O.C. The theme of the proposal is Sustainability Aesthetics & Nature.
Type
International Design Competition
Client
Taichung City Government
Year
Team
2010
Steven Ma
Xinyu Wan
San Liu
Emre Icdem
Awards
Honorable Mention
Taiwan Tower
International Design Competition
Mother Earth nourishes everything. Rotating seasons bring in abundant harvest. Agriculture is the origin of Taiwan, and cohabitation with nature is the goal that we purse with. We piled the harvest of rice, spread out beautiful flower petals, rise up the basket, and we thank for the land.
The spirit of the design comes from the dialogue between human and nature, through the transformation of traditional cultural celebrations as asymbol of the essence of Taiwan...
Circular design elements are a symbol of an abundant harvest of grain. Layers upon layers of petals combined and framed the foundation of the Taiwan Tower with a traditional Chinese rectangular courtyard.
Bamboo structure as an inspiration for the creation of this free-standing light-weight structure of the "Double-Towers"to form a nature "Gateway" to Taichung. A Floating Orchid as a symbolic tribute of a flower basket presented to the people
Taiwan Tower is a "Double-Tower" scheme with sightseeing and recreational functions and as a model for green building. Its overall functional scheme can be divided into three main parts from top to bottom;
1) Observatory [Entertainment]
2) Double Towers [Ecology]
3) Museum Complex [Educational]
The main functions of the Taiwan Tower consist of Observatory, Environmental Quality Monitoring Station, Radio and Digital Signal Transmission Base & Museums. Besides its sightseeing functions, the ecological "Double Towers" will also consist of Four Season Vertical Farms, Aviary Habitats & Multiple Viewing Platforms with Sky Gardens.
The Taiwan Tower experience starts from the Educational
Development [Museum Complex] on the ground level, visitors are forced to walk into the centralised courtyard which features a 360m High Atrium Lobby that looks up the "Double-Tower". Giving the first impression of an ecological designed environment.
Each Theme Museum [Past, Present & Future] will feature and exhibits city's development including is history, urban design and planning. It is an interactive and flexible space that each museums is designed to attach a special
entertainment facility, such as Outdoor Performing Stage, Water Plaza, Shops, Cafe and a Green House Complex.
Visitors continue the journey up and through the Ecological Environment [Vertical Farms & Aviary Habitats]. The elevator channels are designed to be located in-between the four-
season Vertical Farms and Aviary Habitats which allow visitors to experience the atmospheric affects while going up the tower.
The tour concludes as visitors are led up the "Double-Tower" to the Entertainment Amenities [Observatories & Restaurants] for a bird's-eye view of Taichung City. At the highest level, visitors can walk freely on the two separated floating podium.
An external interior Sky-Walk suspended and connected the north podium to the south podium giving visitors a totally new experience to walk in the sky.
