The China Post
Date: June 22, 2016
By: Emily Chen, Laura Chen and Dimitri Bruyas,Special to the China Post
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Contemporary Dutch architecture differs greatly from the buildings of the 17th
The National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts flows well with its surroundings, yet also catches the eye.(Courtesy of Mecanoo)
century golden age, such as the Dutch Anping Fort (Fort Zeelandia) in Tainan City. At that time, buildings made of bricks and stone were mostly geometric, each serving one specific function: military, commercial or medical. By contrast, modern buildings are abstract, asymmetrical, concept-based and unpredictable. More importantly, they are polyvalent, meaning that they can be used for a variety of functions without any adjustment being required to the building itself.
Thanks to such flexibility, architecture better fits our contemporary living, such as the works of many Dutch architectural firms that can be found in Taiwan. When building in a different location, architects face an array of challenges, and it is during these situations that their flexibility and problem-solving expertise shines.
Taipei Performing Arts Center
Designed by OMA, a Dutch architectural firm, the Taipei Performing Arts Center’s (臺北藝術中心) innovative design combines three theaters into a single above-ground structure. Balancing government requirements, the client’s requests, and their own contemporary style, creating this performing arts center has proven to be no easy task. [FULL STORY]
