flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

MVRDV to turn outdated Taiwanese mall into urban lagoon

Cultural Facilities

MVRDV to turn outdated Taiwanese mall into urban lagoon

Rather than starting entirely from scratch, MVRDV will use many of the mall’s existing structures.


By Adilla Menayang, Assistant Digital Editor | November 17, 2015
MVRDV to turn outdated Taiwanese mall into urban lagoon

Renderings courtesy of MVRDV

A mall built in the 1980s in downtown Tainan, Taiwan, fell into decline and has become an eyesore to the city. So the Tainan City Government jumped at the opportunity to hire MVRDV for a rejuvenation project after the Dutch-firm submitted their lagoon-inspired proposal to a city-organized competition.

MVRDV’s winning design honors Tainan’s natural landscape and historic role as a marine and fishing industry hotspot.

“Tainan’s natural lagoons and water network served as the city’s base for its marine and fishing industry up until the early 20th century,” the firm explained in a statement. “Land reclamation and a new urban plan devised under Japanese governance saw the city expand rapidly; construction of the New Tainan Canal and Tainan Ship Moorage moved the shipping and fishing industry further inland.”

The shopping mall, called China-Town Mall, was built next to the canal that moved Tainan’s hustle-and-bustle further inland. Instead of starting from scratch, Gizmag reports that MVRDV plans to use some of the canal-side mall’s existing structure to create lagoons, pavilions, and kiosks.

Making up the majority of the mall’s former site are open-air park areas. “Once dismantled, the exposed structure of China-Town Mall will form the base for the new public square, a lush, green lagoon with dunes and playgrounds,” the firm says.

 

Related Stories

Museums | Sep 22, 2015

David Adjaye releases plans for Ruby City art gallery in San Antonio

San Antonio's Ruby City will hold 800 works of art in 10,000 sf of exhibition space.

Casinos | Sep 22, 2015

Sovereign territory ruling allows for Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's $500 million casino

The Massachusetts-based tribe has plans for a 150,000-sf casino and 600-room hotel, along with a waterpark and event center.

Libraries | Aug 27, 2015

Barack Obama Foundation begins search for presidential library architect

Both national and foreign firms will compete for chance to design the Chicago-based Presidential Center.

Cultural Facilities | Aug 19, 2015

Proposed “High Line” in Mexico City pays homage to Aztec aqueduct

Plans for Mexico City’s elevated park include an amphitheatre and al fresco cafés.

Cultural Facilities | Aug 5, 2015

Ultramoderne wins Chicago Architecture Biennial kiosk design competition

Dubbed Chicago Horizon, the 3,200-sf structure will feature a chin-height rooftop viewing platform that will offer visitors unimpeded views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline.

Cultural Facilities | Aug 4, 2015

London set to have world’s tallest and longest slide

The city of London recently approved a proposal to add a slide to the Anish Kapoor- and Cecil Balmond-designed ArcelorMittal Orbit.

Cultural Facilities | Aug 3, 2015

Funding needed for Washington's Desert Storm memorial

 The National Desert Storm Memorial Foundation has a $25 million goal for the project.

Transit Facilities | Jul 30, 2015

Snøhetta designs ring-shaped cable car station in Italian Alps

In Snøhetta’s design, two cylindrical rings embedded into the existing topography, each at different elevations, will be connected by a cable car. During the minute-long cable car journey, passengers can enjoy views of the city and of the Italian Alps.

Museums | Jul 28, 2015

MUST SEE: Zaha Hadid's latest museum project is built into a mountain

The museum, dedicated to legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner, is embedded within Mount Kronplatz in northern Italy.

Performing Arts Centers | Jul 27, 2015

Vox Populi: Netherlands municipality turns to public vote to select design for new theater

UNStudio’s Theatre on the Parade received nearly three-fifths of votes cast in contest between two finalists.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Adaptive Reuse

Detroit’s Michigan Central Station, centerpiece of innovation hub, opens

The recently opened Michigan Central Station in Detroit is the centerpiece of a 30-acre technology and cultural hub that will include development of urban transportation solutions. The six-year adaptive reuse project of the 640,000 sf historic station, created by the same architect as New York’s Grand Central Station, is the latest sign of a reinvigorating Detroit.


Museums

Connecticut’s Bruce Museum more than doubles its size with a 42,000-sf, three-floor addition

In Greenwich, Conn., the Bruce Museum, a multidisciplinary institution highlighting art, science, and history, has undergone a campus revitalization and expansion that more than doubles the museum’s size. Designed by EskewDumezRipple and built by Turner Construction, the project includes a 42,000-sf, three-floor addition as well as a comprehensive renovation of the 32,500-sf museum, which was originally built as a private home in the mid-19th century and expanded in the early 1990s. 



Cultural Facilities

Multipurpose sports facility will be first completed building at Obama Presidential Center

When it opens in late 2025, the Home Court will be the first completed space on the Obama Presidential Center campus in Chicago. Located on the southwest corner of the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, the Home Court will be the largest gathering space on the campus. Renderings recently have been released of the 45,000-sf multipurpose sports facility and events space designed by Moody Nolan.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021