Creating Public Realm in a Dense City

The Taipei Performing Arts Center is a civic destination and a true public space. With its array of indoor/outdoor performance spaces, the TPAC is tuned to follow the rhythm of Taipei’s cultural variety. Here, visitors can come year-round and immerse in the culture of music and performance with all of Taipei as its natural and urban backdrop.

The Taipei Performing Arts Center simultaneously offers three levels of urban stimuli. A SHIMMERING DIGITAL IMAGING ROOF: The digital imaging roof hovers over the Performing Arts Center and is composed of a LED light system. This shimmering form creates a cultural landmark for Taipei’s growing city. GENEROUS PUBLIC SPACE: A large plaza space–lined with commercial and performance space–extends and connects the night market. An additional second outdoor multi-form theatre has been added to this plaza. LOBBY AS URBAN CORRIDOR: The lobbies for the performance centers act as passageway for pedestrians from train station and night market and surrounding communities.

A simple quartering of the site allows each quadrant to respond to the dynamic urban and programmatic context. The massing and organization represent simple and honest responses to site conditions. SOLID AND VOID CORNERS: The corners facing the night market and Jian Tan Road are urban voids–a plaza and a lobby, to collect and stimulate. These two open spaces are countered by two northern and southern solids–the theatres. FLYTOWERS FACE AND DEFINE OPEN PLAZA & URBAN CORRIDOR: Traditionally hidden “behind the scenes”, these new flytowers are exposed and participate in the spectacle of the commercial and plaza lining. They are glass-lined, allowing their internal systems to be seen. By turning the flytowers toward the plaza and depressing the backstage below grade, the plaza’s area is significantly increased and made more efficient.