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Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees

With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

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  • Giulia Ricci
  • 25 September 2018
  • Kaohsiung
  • Mecanoo architecten
  • 140.000 sqm
  • performing arts centre
  • 2018

Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, is the latest completed project by Mecanoo architecten. The Dutch firm embarked the project in 2007, as winners of the international competition launched by Taiwan's Council for Cultural Affairs. The building sits in a 460,000 sqm subtropical park, formerly a military area of Kaohsiung, once a major international harbour.

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, plan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Mecanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, floor plan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Mecanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, second floor plan

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Mecanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, section of the Banyan Plaza

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Mecanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, section of the concert hall and recital hall

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Mecanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, section of the Lyric Theatre

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Mecanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, section of the Playhouse

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Mecanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, diagram

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, sketch

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, sketch

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, sketch

Kaohsiung. Mecanoo’s huge performing arts centre is inspired by banyan trees With its 140,000 sqm, the building interprets the clustering trees, linking five performance spaces under one roof.

Macanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, sketch

The city is now gaining international reputation as a cultural hub, and this last addition to its cultural offer aims at incorporating three of the country’s flagship institutions in the fields of theatre, dance, spectacle and music: Taipei’s National Theatre and Concert Hall (NTCH) and the National Taichung Theatre (NTT). The structure appears as an aluminium slab of 225 meters wide by 160 sqm deep, and its logic is inspired by the forms of local banyan trees. As Mecanoo architecten founding partner and creative director Francine Houben mentions “Each mature specimen can become like three or more connecting trees, as the spreading roots thicken and reach up, either to join the primary trunk or form new trunks. Meanwhile the crown of the banyan is thick and very horizontal, a dense canopy that offers protection from rain and sun.”

Mecanoo architecten, Weiwuying, Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2018. Photo Iwan Baan

The building has been conceived starting from this observation and the result is a continuous space that connects an opera house, a concert hall, a playhouse, a recital hall and an outdoor amphitheatre. These five spaces are combined under the same roof, a canopy that blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces.

  • Weiwuying, National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts
  • Kaohsiung, Taiwan
  • performing arts centre
  • Mecanoo architecten
  • Archasia Design Group
  • Supertech
  • Yuan Tai
  • Heng Kai
  • Xu-Acoustique
  • CMA lighting
  • Waagner-Biro
  • Theateradvies
  • Chien Kuo Construction Co.
  • 140,000 sqm
  • 2018
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