National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts: Performance Complex

Mecanoo, Middle Density, Project, Technology and fabrication, Urban Paradigms

Active Public Spaces, Agency of Urban Organization, Architecture&art, Auditorium, Cultural enrichment, Culture, Curatorial, Educational, Educational Building, Kaohsiung, Multifunctional building, Project, Public buildings, Public Catalyst, Public realm, Space & Sound, Taiwan, Technological Approach, Urban culture, Urban Paradigms

Photography: Iwan Baan, Shawn Liu Studio, Sytze Boonstra, Ethan Lee and Weiwuying

Kaohsiung is an informal, lively city of almost 3 million inhabitants. Not only is it the second-largest city in Taiwan and one of the world’s largest seaports, it is also host to a dramatic sub-tropical climate of typhoons, high temperatures, heavy rainfall and regular earthquakes. The new 140,000 square-meter performance complex must cope with all of these extremes.