Shining Cloudscape

Located at the intersection of Xiangshang Road and the 112m-long Calligraphy Greenway in the West District of Taichung City, the site is positioned at a cultural and iconic urban node. The architect sought to start a dialogue with the urban context through the design of massing, color, and lighting. Since the initial stage of the design, we aimed to echo the prosperous atmosphere of the commercial district along Xiangshang Road; accordingly, we created a welcoming open space for the pedestrian, with a sidewalk setback ranging from 4 to 5 meters deep and a ceiling that measures 6 meters in height. Unlike the traditional retail arcade model, a linear human-scaled open space is created through the setback of massing and provides for a lively and diverse street-level commercial area. The residential units, located between the 3rd and the 25th floor, range from 247.5 to 330 sq. in area, and are designed with the concept of a resort hotel, extending the leisure ambiance of the Greenway up to the Sky Lounge located on the 26th and 27th floors.

We aimed to create a new architectural manifestation for high-rises, through the understanding of and integration between economic, technological, and urban relationships -- a high-rise is a symbolic icon in the city where it stands.

The building is made up of three segments; at the base, travertine and cantilevered horizontal canopies separated the residential environments from the potential hustle and bustle of the commercial programs acoustically; within the main body in the middle, 45x95 cm tiles are applied to characterize the delicacy and precision of the entire project. In addition, projected horizontal panels break the otherwise uniform window openings on the facade; towards the top, classical hierarchies, where the center of the mass is traditionally the highest point, are overthrown and four large light columns are installed at the corners instead. Soaring into the sky, together they became one of the most recognizable architectural symbols of the city. With the ever-changing lighting conditions throughout the day, the perceived form also continuously changes. At night, these lighting structures simplify and sublimate light into its purest existence; a presence, or genius loci, made brighter against the dark -- the uniqueness of the place and the warmth of it being home are simultaneously manifested.

Since the North-South facing elevations are wider than the East-West, and as the North facing elevation does not receive direct sunlight in Taichung, we purposely applied tiles with rather saturated butter yellow color in order to echo the Greenway with its vibrant natural colors; creating an atmosphere that is full of life woven with green and yellow hues. In the afternoon, the play of color, light, and shadow recalls the twilight reflecting on the glazed tiles of The Hall of Supreme Harmony at the center of the Forbidden City.

As for the spatial arrangements, we have integrated the bathrooms with the lighting columns on the facade. At the top floor sky lounge, the perpendicular lamps and the ceiling-elevated common areas create a space reminiscent of a glazed glass box. We have transferred the edgeless design of the water landscape at the Lalu Hotel to the 27th floor of this project. This will allow the residents to enjoy the city landscape with a boundless view.

The master bedroom bathroom of each unit is spatially integrated into the vertical glass masses that continue up to the lighting columns of the Sky Lounge on the 27th floor at the crown, where the amenity spaces with elevated ceilings are reminiscent of the edgeless water-scape design of the Lalu Hotel, one of the most well-known project developed by the client. The design not only offers the residents an impeccable and boundless view of the city, but also once again advertises the client and their projects to the public.

We are sincerely grateful for the support we have received from the client, the construction company, and all of our own colleagues in the process of materializing this building. The essence of the design lies in a project identity that radically differs from others. This building is an interface through which the urban context is precisely interpreted, and a landmark is thereby created.

No. 8, Ln. 79, Sec. 1, Xiangshang Rd., West Dist., Taichung City 403 , Taiwan (R.O.C.)