Gazing from afar at the environs of Lanyang Museum, one can imagine a scene from bygone days with sailing ships gracing through the rocky anchorage amid remnants of the Wushi Reef. A string of reefs scattered along a coastline bounded by mountains and pounding surf, and dominated by cuesta formations where sharp slopes meet gentle inclines. Here, the mountains, oceans and plains tirelessly relate to the story of Yilan. The precious wetlands and long-standing Wushi Port at the northern tip of the Lanyang Plain are distinctive elements in the design of this museum, a building whose form seems to have spontaneously emerged from this rich natural setting.

Yilan’s splendid mountains, plains and seascapes play a vital part in the architectural planning of the museum, and they form a natural backdrop for it. The architectural lines are intended to draw the eyes of visitor downward layer by layer; from the heights of the mountain scenery, to the wetlands, to Wushi Port, and to the ocean that gradually unfold before the eyes. As you take the elevator up, Guishan Island comes into view, evoking the sentiments of author and Yilan native Huang Chun-Ming as he describes his first glimpse of the island on his homecoming journey. The building appears to emerge from the ground, its 20-degree slope complemented by tilted load-bearing walls. The convergence of these lines gives the viewer the sensation of being in a new spatial dimension.

The building materials also highlight Yilan’s rich natural setting. Integrating the imagery of the cuesta rocks, the design incorporates granites and cast aluminum panels to present the fine textures of surrounding sceneries. On rainy days, color variations of the stone give the building an ever-changing appearance. Moreover, the rhythm of Vivaldi’s classical piece “The Four Seasons” concertos was coded into the arrangements of the facade panels.