Richard Meier unveils design scheme for residential high-rise in Taipei

Juxtaposed against the super-tall pagoda-like Taipei 101 tower, Richard Meier & Partners designed a sleek and slim residential high-rise commissioned by Continental Development Corporation, designboom reports.

Officially titled the CDC 55 Timeless Xin-Yi tower, the building will rise to a total height of 417 feet, standing atop a public field and plaza, dubbed to be a new precedent in Taiwan where a private building dedicates its entire landscape to the public.

With configurations that range from two apartments per floor to one large apartment unit per story, the development is targeted at high-end buyers. Luxury amenities include an outdoor swimming pool and roof deck offering views of the city’s landmark Taipei 101 and the rest of the skyline.

According to designboom, the building’s horizontal and vertical organization is “based on a strong geometric clarity.”

“The relationship between these two main elements is emphasized through a subtle shift in both plan and elevation, creating a dynamism and variation in scale that responds to the immediate urban environment,” the architects explain. “The solid north volume contains the core of the residential units that flows toward the transparent south volume, which is a natural-light-filled space where living, social, and the more public programs are located. A carefully crafted geometric organization allows viewing corridors towards the mountains in the far distance.”

Construction is under way, and is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

Roughly one in three office buildings in the largest U.S. cities are well suited to be converted to multifamily residential properties, according to a study by global real estate firm Avison Young. Some 6,206 buildings across 10 U.S. cities present viable opportunities for conversion to residential use.

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