Taijiang is historically significant as the first region in Taiwan where immigrants from Mainland China settled. Established in 2015, Taijiang National Park aims to preserve the area’s natural landscape and cultural heritage. The Visitor Center is situated in the heart of a 7-hectare fish farm, encompassing tourist services, administrative offices, park police stations, and staff accommodations.
Conceptual Analysis
The building rises above the fish farm on stilts, reflecting the natural environment and traditional stilt house architecture. Its design is influenced by functional requirements and public accessibility. The structure’s form is shaped by various elements such as building blocks and height. A network of small roads and waterways divides the site into smaller blocks, improving ventilation and minimizing solar heat gain.
A connected waterway system links the separate fish ponds and connects them to the nearby Taijiang River. This system helps reduce evaporation, preventing increased water salinity, and supports a richer biodiversity by allowing species migration and water exchange.
Analysis Chart
The building’s open architectural design blurs the line between public and private spaces. This inclusiveness echoes traditional village settlements, where different elements coexist and function as an integrated whole.
Improving the natural environment is a key feature of the design. Previously steep riverbanks have been transformed into thriving habitats for various species. Every element of the building’s boundaries, roofs, floors, and walls has been carefully selected and designed to create better living spaces for birds, fish, and other wildlife.
Project Drawings
▲ General Plan 1
▲ General Plan 2
▲ Plan View
▲ Plan View
▲ Elevation View
▲ Sectional View
▲ Analysis Chart
Project Information
Project Type: Visitor Center, Park
Location: Tainan, Taiwan, China
Architect: Bio Architecture Formosa
Area: 8,260 m²
Year: 2016
Photographers: Lucas K. Doolan, Rui Jsung Pan, BaF
Manufacturers: Kolee, FOREST LAI ENTERPRISE CO. LTD, Shine-Life Enterprise Co. Ltd, HaunSu Tech Corporation
Principal Architects: Ying Chao Kuo and Ching Hwa Chang
Design Team: Jr Yuan Chen, Hsin Yi Chen, Yi Fan Chen, Yue Lun Tsai, Yu Tang Lien, Zhen Chia Lee, Chih Lin Tan, Hsing Hua Han, Wen Yao Wung, Po Ru Chen, Ming Hua Hsueh, Ming Hui Lin, Jui Lung Wu
Client: Taijiang National Park Headquarters
Engineer: Strucpro Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd.
Landscape Architecture: Ecology Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning
Consultant: Ming Cheng Consultant Co., Ltd.
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