THE MOON BRIDGE – A proposal for the Kaohsiung Maritime and Culture Center Competition By JAJA Architects JAJA Architects had their breakthrough in 2007 with their proposal, Book Hill, to an extension to the main public library in Stockholm, Sweden. Earlier this year they won a 1st prize in a competition on a mixed-used building, the Cornerstone, in Vanløse, Denmark, a 2nd prize for their proposal on a National Museum in Oslo, Norway, and a 3rd prize for their proposal, Knowledge Axis, on a university library in Osnabrück, Germany. JAJA is an architecture office based in Copenhagen, Denmark. JAJA is committed to exploring the field of architecture and urban planning by transforming complex compositions into crystal clear ideas. As in solving an algorithm, we gather the data, process it and boil it down to simple answers to complex problems. In this rigorous process, we are able to combine innovative thinking and efficient solutions as the driving forces of our designs. Recently, they entered an open competition on the Port Ferry in Kaohsiung with their proposal, The Moon Bridge.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Moon Bridge is a tribute to the harbor, music and city. It is a Maritime Culture and a Pop Music Center that bridges the Love River - creating an unified waterfront and a scenic landmark.
The site is a part of Kaohsiung's ambition plan of creating a unified waterfront city. Today, the site is divided in two by the intersecting Love River. The Love River is the city's refuge by the water. It is the spine of the city where the urban spaces along the water stages a variety of markets, cafés and music events. This vast public life serves as a huge potential for the Maritime Culture and Pop Music Center and, vice versa, the new center can become a worthy entrance into the heart of the city.
The intersection between the site and Love River is a key junction.
JAJA Architects propose to create a waterfront park that connects to the adjacent park developments and stretches itself from each end of the "U"-shaped site. In the intersection by the Love River, they place the Maritime Culture and Pop Music Center that extends itself from street level across the river forming a scenic landmark in the shape of a Moon Bridge.
The Moon Bridge will frame the river inviting public life from the Love River Park into the harbor - while allowing people across the river overlooking the city and harbor. It is a bridge but also an urban space, promenade, landmark and a building. It is a place that has enormous capacity for music events, exhibitions and urban life. Day and night. All year round.
It is a project that dissolves the boundary between building, urban space and landscape. Interior and exterior. It is a project that combines all the conditions of the site and program to create an incubator for pop music, maritime history and public life.
