This 400-meter-tall “green” tower was imagined by the team of HMC Architects and HOY Architects and Associates, and it was among the five finalists selected for the Taiwan Tower International Design Competition. The beautiful spiralled building was designed to be a reflection of the city of Taichung and the resilient qualities of its people, with whom the roots of the building mingle.
The form of the tower rotates in order to give the visitors inside the vertical museum a full 180-degree view of the surrounding city. The gaps in the structure give the tower the appearance of fragility and grace, while in reality they lighten the structural loads, and also provide outdoor garden space many stories up in the sky. The building, with its flowing lines and asymmetrical form, has a certain earthy quality, though the glass that encases that form brings a modern feel to it – creating a fascinating dynamic between natural and industrial styles.
The most amazing part of this building, however, is that it produces 185 percent of its own energy, and is able to supply surrounding areas with the surplus. The tower is adaptive to the environment, and acts as a carbon sequester; the gaps in the form of the building harvest wind energy through turbines, and the fins at the top of the building also produce energy and shade.
July 28, 2014
Central Saint Martins
British Higher School of Art and Design
Pforzheim University
Shenkar
LOFT 42
World Architecture Festival
