Located on part of Level B1 of the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA), the Taiwan Children’s Art Cave is a concrete commission responding to Taiwan’s cultural policy. Conceived as “an art-education space open to children across Taiwan,” it aims to nurture children’s agency while establishing a partnership relationship with adults as a guiding design principle. It also leverages the national museum’s collection and exhibition resources as a key opportunity for integration.

The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is in the center of Taichung and functions as an urban museum. At the city scale, its significance lies in connecting a network of open spaces across the Taichung urban core, while extending the art realm beyond the museum’s designated grounds and into the city itself. Accordingly, the project carries a strong urban imperative for openness and connectivity.

In collaboration with German architect Behet Bondzio Lin, the design—beginning from the competition phase—drew on children’s colour psychology, introducing colour to the ceiling to correspond with different types of activities, with the intention of bringing colour into the space. The previously enclosed underground storage rooms were opened up to face the central courtyard greenery, drawing daylight into the interior. In addition, the project uses the geometric quality of circular spaces—both enclosed and open—to create five children’s corners that evoke different artistic sensations. Together with custom furniture and an accessible stage and platforms, the overall environment becomes a more immersive, child-centred art space. The teaching tools and educational system were developed through collaboration between the museum’s researchers and a professional curatorial team, resulting in a rich and diverse children’s art-education environment.

Furthermore, the project integrates portions of the museum’s exterior façade with the surrounding open space. A curved canopy helps shape and define the perimeter of an open courtyard, while extensive use of semi-outdoor areas—walkways, terraces, and platforms—interweaves art with the environment. Inside, the design also considers openness and adult art education, reconfiguring the spatial layers for art learning and art appreciation.