taipei performing arts center by morphosis architects
image courtesy morphosis architects

american firm created a futuristic design for
the taipei performing arts center.

within walking distance of the lively shilin night market, the historic cixian temple,
and the zhongshan north green boulevard, as well as the TRTS jiantan station
and major roadways, the taipei performing arts center anchors a round-the-clock
cultural axis. the architecture becomes, by virtue of its sculpted and indelible form,
a landmark in the region—like a jewel, with distinct facets visible from all corners
of the city.

in taipei, the theater is not an amenity reserved for the cultural elite, but is truly open
to the entire community. their proposal celebrates both conceptions of theater:
theater as high art, embodied by the sumptuous formal foyers leading to the striking
grand theater and the intimate proscenium playhouse; and the inclusiveness of a
'people’s theater,' exemplified by the multiform theater’s overt and deliberate connection
to the public. the differentiated form, material language, and spatial layout of each
of the three theaters align with their respective roles. each theater’s distinct form in
turn directly inflects the form of the overall building envelope and the complex as
a whole.