This ambitious satellite of Taipei’s Palace Museum forms part of an initiative to share the cultural riches of the capital with other regions of Taiwan. It was intended to showcase art and culture from across Asia—an immense continent dominated by three civilizations, namely Chinese, Indian, and Persian. The exhibitions bring together artifacts from different cultures and time periods, to provide visitors with a more synthesized understanding of these relics and their context.
The museum is located by the Puzi River, outside the city of Taibao, in Chiayi County. It sits on flat terrain, with an expansive view of the surrounding countryside.
The approach is via a curving pedestrian bridge approximately 140 meters in length, which hovers above the lake to avoid any interference with the flood prevention in place at the bottom of the reservoir. The bridge’s structure relies primarily on the single steel arch, the bridge deck, and the rectangular hangers in between. The hangers tilt with the gradual rotation of the deck so that each piece is connected firmly to the arch above, and the balustrade is topped with solid wooden handrails that slope slightly inward to complement the overall curve of the bridge. The bridge was designed primarily for foot traffic but it can also support electric cars when necessary. And it’s able to support large numbers of spectators on its deck on special occasions, when people assemble to watch fireworks or other events on the lake.
The design of the main building was inspired by Chinese calligraphic strokes—a “thick ink” stroke, combined with a “half-dry” stroke. The solid black thick-ink stroke in the west and the white half-dry void in the east collide at both ends of the curved volume. Toward the north, the black rises up and nudges into the white; at the opposite end, the white rises up and intersects the black. This collision of contrasting components is handled meticulously, resulting in a clean and congruous finish, as if they are two interlocking objects destined to come into contact with each other to form a whole.
The construction of the cantilevered spaces was a fun challenge to overcome. Forty-five temporary columns were put in place to support the protruding structure before the primary steel frames were completed. The moment of truth came when the supports had to be removed—followed by excitement as the structural design proved its excellence. The building now stands proudly and steadily in the beautiful greenery of the Chianan Plain.
The half-dry glass enclosure contains the museum lobby, café, library, and administrative offices. Supported by a steel structure and wrapped in light-gray low-E glass, the volume was kept transparent and well-lit to offer a welcoming public space that visitors can socialize and relax in. The steel frames protrude from the envelope to act as a vertical brise-soleil, deflecting some of the hot Chiayi sun, and the low-E glass combats the intense glare and heat gain from direct sunlight as well as indirect reflections off the lake. In the main lobby, the glass curtain wall frames striking views of the man-made lake and surrounding landscape. A grand stairway rises up gently, leading visitors to an orientation room where light-filled circulation spaces open into an inner courtyard and lead on to the softly lit exhibition galleries.
The thick-ink solid carapace protects light-sensitive artifacts in the curatorial department and exhibition halls. Making up the western half of the building, this black curved volume blocks the majority of the sun received by the building. Its exterior is clad in more than 36,000 cast aluminum disks attached to a gently bowed wall: a digitized version of an ancient bronzeware pattern. The disks were also deliberately placed so that as the sun moves, their reflections evoke the image of a dragon riding through the clouds.
Large openings were installed at both the northern and southern ends of the building to facilitate ventilation and bring in additional sunlight. The internal junction then performs as a threshold between the light public spaces and the dark exhibition rooms, placed at the beginning and end of the visitor's journey.
The area surrounding the museum takes the form of a miniature landscape, densely populated with a diverse selection of local species. Seen from a distance, the building appears to rise out of a billowing mass of vegetation—a setting that pays tribute to the abundant rainfall, sophisticated irrigation channels, and lush greenery of the region. The landscape design also captures the cultural heritage of the area, with motifs drawn from prehistoric times, as well as from the traditions of the Pingpu and Tsou people, scattered throughout. At night, the museum lights up gracefully like a beautiful waterside artwork, enhancing rather than disturbing the nighttime vista of Taibao City and its stunning surroundings.
