RUR Architecture has finished the Taipei Music Center (TMC), turning a 22-acre (9-hectare) site into a new urban arts district. The New York-based firm’s design took over a decade of planning and construction, as it both reflected and helped shape the post-industrial revival of Taipei.
Conceived as a City of Pop Music, the TMC is a hybrid and multipurpose site dedicated to the performance, production, and celebration of Asian pop music. TMC has three main buildings: the Concert Hall, the Cultural Cube, and the Creative Hub. A new elevated public ground bridges the north and south sites, bringing the three buildings together. The building program also includes three live-houses that allow for simultaneous performances and support new talent with intimate concerts.
The project’s centerpiece—the 756,000-square-foot Concert Hall—is designed for both indoor and outdoor performances. Inside, it can seat 6,000 people; outside in the public plaza, it can accommodate several hundred. A faceted double skin, made of an anodized aluminum cladding outer layer and a gypsum wall inner layer, wraps around and encloses the auditorium. The Performance Hall features state-of-the-art technology, from the acoustics and lighting to eco-friendly heating and cooling systems.
The design has interwoven the buildings into the natural surroundings and the city fabric. The expansive geometric volumes are meant to mirror the nearby mountains, connecting the structure with its environment.
Building Team:
Design architect: RUR
Architect of record: Fei and Cheng Associates, Taipei
Structural engineer (schematic design): ARUP, Hong Kong
Structural engineer (detailed design): Supertek, Taiwan
Facade consultant: Meinhardt Façade Technology, Shanghai
Theater, acoustics consultants: ARUP, Hong Kong
Landscape architect: The Environmental Arts Design Company, Taiwan
Lighting consultant: RDG, Taiwan
![TMC urban arts district ext 2](/sites/default/files/inline-images/TMC%20urban%20arts%20district%20ext%202.jpg)
![TMC urban arts district ext 3](/sites/default/files/inline-images/TMC%20urban%20arts%20district%20ext%203.jpg)
Related Stories
Performing Arts Centers | May 4, 2016
Diamond Schmitt unveils designs for Buddy Holly Hall performing arts center
The spacious and versatile complex can hold operas, plays, rock concerts, and conferences.
Cultural Facilities | May 4, 2016
World’s largest cultural center planned for Dubai
The Opera District will have a 2,000-seat theater and three residential complexes.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 28, 2016
Studio Dror designs geodesic dome to pair with the Montreal Biosphère
The aluminum dome, which honors the 50th anniversary of Expo 67, can host events year-round.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 25, 2016
Two milestones recognized as Diamond Schmitt designs upgrades to the National Arts Centre in Ottawa
Renovations, including a new tower, stage, and lounge, will be completed in 2017, the year of Canada’s 150th and the center’s 50th birthday.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 12, 2016
Studio Libeskind designs angular Kurdish museum rich with symbolism
The museum consists of four geometric volumes separated by somber and uplifting divisions.
Performing Arts Centers | Apr 1, 2016
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture’s The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare to begin construction this spring at Navy Pier
Among the unique design features is a movable set of structural audience “towers” that allows for directors and designers to create a space that works best for their specific performances.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 31, 2016
An extreme sports tower for climbing and BASE jumping is proposed for Dubai’s waterfront
The design incorporates Everest-like base camps for different skill levels.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 21, 2016
PAB Architects designs marketplace to centralize Senegal street vending
The Senegal City Market project consists of groups of store modules and is expected to expand to 13 cities.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 15, 2016
OMA’s first UAE project transforms warehouses into multi-purpose art district venue
Moveable walls will provide different spatial configurations for events and gatherings, and large glass doors will blur indoors and outdoors.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 8, 2016
The sexy side of universal design
What would it look like if achieving universal accessibility was an inspiring point of departure for a project's design process? Sasaki's Gina Ford focuses on Marina Plaza and the Cove, two key features of her firm's Chicago Riverwalk development.