Led by HMC’s Raymond Pan,
the team of HMC Architects and HOY Architects and Associates were among
the five finalists selected for the Taiwan Tower International Design
Competition. Envisioned as beacon for the city of Taichung, the
400-meter tall green tower is an evolving column of life that captures
and reflects the strength and resilience of the people of Taiwan.Rising
from its roots that are infused with its people, place, history, and
stories, this column of life is the culmination of the serendipitous
lifestyle and inclusive multicultural dynamism of Taiwan. The tower
sustains a creative synergy between structure and its context through a
physical, visual, and metaphysical morphology. The very roots that
shaped this tower are ingrained in the memories of Taiwan’s history,
while it continues to foster the celebration of life and its
ever-changing aspect of history making.Visitors
experience the tower as a vertical museum, displaying the history of
Taichung as a continuous tapestry of life ascending to 400 meters in
height. The form of the tower rotates to provide optimal views of
historical landmarks as visitors move upward through the tower and
ascend through time.The tower acts as a carbon sequester that responds and adapts to its
location and climate. The characteristic form allows wind to pass
through the super-tall structure, decreasing structural loads and
harvesting the energy via integrated turbines. Modular, energy producing
fins shade the tower from the tropical sun, and can be moved, updated,
or enhanced as green technology continues to evolve. As a result, the
tower produces 185 percent of its own energy needs, exporting the
surplus renewable energy to the surrounding city. The winning commission was awarded to the team of Sou Fujimoto Architects and Fei & Cheng Associates.