The origins
The island of Taiwan has been inhabited for millennia, as evidenced by the Beinan archaeological site in Taitung County. Discovered in 1945, the site is home to schist monoliths and tombs dating from 5000 to 2000 BC. The schist used was most probably imported by river, evidence of an already highly organized culture. The island's original inhabitants were aborigines. Although their cultures are extremely diverse, they nevertheless have certain architectural features in common, such as the use of natural materials (wood, bamboo, earth, etc.) and the adaptation of dwellings to the climate and environment. For example, the Tao tribe, who live on Lanyu, Orchid Island, bury the foundations of their houses to ensure their stability in the face of typhoons. The Paiwan and Bunun tribes mainly build thatched stone houses whose colors blend perfectly with the environment. The oldest aboriginal dwellings are troglodytic. An example can be seen at the Baxian cave site. Another type of dwelling, once widespread, was a house on stilts to protect against humidity. You can also discover this astonishing heritage at the archaeological sites of Peinan and Qilin.
From the Dutch empire to the Qing dynasty
In the 17th century, Taiwan was disputed by the great Spanish and Dutch merchant empires. From 1624 to 1634, the Dutch East India Company built Fort Zeelandia (now Anping Fort) in the city of Tainan. They imported bricks from Java and used a surprising mixture of sugar, sand, coastal sediment and rice glue as mortar. A way of combining Western construction methods with local know-how. Another important fort is Fort Provintia, also in Tainan. All that remains of the imposing original fortifications are remnants of the outer wall, now incorporated into the Chihkan towers... in classical Chinese style! The Dutch also built Fort Antonio, replacing the Spanish-erected Fort San Domingo in the Tamsui district.
European settlers were followed by representatives of the Chinese kingdom of Tungning (1661-1683) and then the Qing dynasty (1683-1895). On arriving in Taiwan, the Chinese imported their beliefs and architectural traditions, particularly in terms of temples. The link with nature is fundamental, and the building of a temple is governed by a precise orientation. The temple faces south to benefit from warmth in winter and cool breezes in summer. To protect against storms, mythical animals such as dragons are placed at the 4 corners of the roof, which is then covered with tiles. The first tiles are made from a mixture of stone, clay and Ylang-Ylang grass, before undergoing a special treatment to enable them to be painted in a variety of colors. Nailed to the framework, they are often engraved and drawn, again to protect the building from the vagaries of nature. Another key feature, particularly developed under the Qing dynasty, is the shape of the roof, curved at the ends. This is known as the "coattail roof", and can have one or two levels of curvature. Whatever the period, the most important element remains the temple's wooden framework, a noble and living material. The building's framework, which ensures great stability, makes it possible to create a number of wide-open spaces, creating a link between inside and outside. All the elements of the wooden framework are interlocked by a system of tenons, enabling rapid assembly. The framework rests on a foundation platform that provides good insulation. Spaces are organized along a central axis, with the most intimate areas always facing inwards. Added to this, especially during the Qing dynasty, was a constant quest for embellishment through decorative carpentry, painting and, above all, porcelain sculpture, which could be found even on the roofs. The abundance of decoration should not obscure the fact that everything is precisely codified and fixed before construction, from the size of the columns to the curvature of the roof and the space between decorative elements. The two most beautiful temples of the Tungning era, the Grand Temple of Mazu (1664) and the Temple of Confucius (1665), are located in Tainan. Among the great representatives of the Qing dynasty are the exuberant temples of Chiayi City.
At the end of the 19th century, an astonishing change took place: the representatives of the Qing dynasty called on more Western models for the construction of their new buildings, as witnessed by the Customs Officers' Residence in Tamsui. Nicknamed the "Little White House", it was built in 1870 in the purest colonial style, with beautiful galleries surrounding the house.
Japanese influence and Chinese renaissance
From 1896 to 1945, Taiwan was under Japanese rule. The Japanese developed a distinctive style, which the Qing had pioneered: a reinterpretation of Western formal codes. The Hsinchu railway station is a perfect example. Sobriety of line and a quest for symmetry bear witness to a resolutely neoclassical inspiration. The same quest for grandeur can be found at the National Museum of Taiwan, which makes abundant use of the colonnades and pediments of Greek antiquity. In Taichung, the former Radio House is an elegant blend of colonial residence and Venetian palace, while the old railway station, built in 1917, retains its neo-Renaissance style. But the most impressive example of this use of Western styles is undoubtedly the Taipei Presidential Palace , built in 1919 in a late-Renaissance style. Note its main entrance surmounted by a high tower, its steel and concrete facade painted red and white, and its monumental staircase adorned with Corinthian columns.
However, the Japanese also imported their own belief and building systems, as evidenced by the Kagi Shrine, heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism. After 1945, Taiwan was returned to China. This marked a veritable Chinese cultural renaissance, which was reflected in the architecture of the city by the almost systematic use of a style known as "classical Chinese", blending age-old traditions with modernist innovations. Taipei's Grand Hotel is one of its most prominent examples. Its architecture borrows from both Chinese temples (curved roof, dragon heads at the ends) and modernist structures, notably in the monumentality of the whole and in the repetition of perfectly symmetrical colonnades on the façade, giving the building an astonishing regularity and sobriety. Another example, again in Taipei, is the National Theatre and the Grand Concert Hall.
Modern and functional in use, these two buildings are nevertheless exact replicas of traditional Chinese temples. The Shrine of the Martyrs of the National Revolution is a perfect illustration of this quest for grandeur and the need to link modern buildings with Chinese history. Built in 1969, the shrine is largely inspired by the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing's Forbidden City. Alongside these odes to the glory of China's past is a building as elegant as it is unusual: the Luce Memorial Chapel by the famous Ieoh Ming Pei, built on the campus of Taichung University. This Christian chapel stands out for its tent-like shape (or hyperbolic paraboloid for the scientists!) and its concrete structure covered with golden ceramic tiles. Part temple, part chapel, this building offers a superb interpretation of religion in architecture.
Architecture for the future
Today, Taiwan has become one of the world's leading centers of architectural creation and innovation. In Taipei, Rem Koolhaas revolutionized the typology of theaters with his Centre d'Art Dramatique. Tired of codified, closed structures, he imagined a theater with large open spaces, allowing visitors to see the creative heart of the theater beating. But the structure of the building, which he himself describes as a tofu attached to a 100-year-old egg, did not meet with unanimous approval! What did win over everyone, however, was the constant quest for green, sustainable architecture. The Kaohsiung National Stadium, designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, is entirely solar-powered. It owes its nickname "Dragon Stadium" to its spiral shape and scale-like photovoltaic panels. The Taipei Public Library's Beitou branch has been designed to reduce energy and water consumption, thanks to bay windows that let in plenty of natural light and rainwater capture systems. Respecting the Chinese tradition of harmony with nature, some architects do not hesitate to merge their buildings with the surrounding environment, as with the National Library in Taitung which, with its grass-covered roof, seems to literally melt into the ground; or the LanYang Museum in Toucheng, whose asymmetrical structure reproduces the relief of the surrounding cuestas or mountains. Even Taiwan's most impressive skyscrapers are sustainable. The Taipei 101 Tower, which towers over the city at a height of 509 m (including the antenna!), won an award for its energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly design. Designed by one of Taiwan's leading architects, C.Y. Lee, the tower is packed with references to Chinese culture, starting with the eight segments that make up the tower, a number that symbolizes prosperity. Another emblematic tower is Vincent Callebaut's Agora Garden. The creator of the "ArchiBiotic" concept, he imagines intelligent buildings such as this spiral tower, whose 23,000 terrace garden plants are designed to capture as much CO2 as possible in an attempt to limit the impact of pollution. Just like the incredible Taichung Ecopark designed by Swiss architect Philippe Rahm. This green oasis has been designed down to the last detail and its climates modelled to create different temperatures, ventilation and lighting without unnecessary energy expenditure.
More recently, Taiwan has been making a name for itself in contemporary architecture. The Tainan Municipal Cultural Center combines exhibition spaces, auditoriums and performing arts facilities, reflecting Tainan's commitment to culture and contemporary art. To support its dynamic technology sector, the Hsinchu Science Park continues to expand with new facilities for innovation and research, including high-tech buildings and laboratories. The city of New Taipei recently inaugurated several new subway stations to improve connectivity and reduce urban congestion. These buildings incorporate modern technologies and environmentally-friendly designs. The Kaohsiung Cultural Center is a complex under development that aims to provide a multifunctional venue for cultural events, exhibitions and performances, reinforcing Kaohsiung's role as a major cultural center.
While new skyscraper projects are underway, a younger generation of architects is turning to rehabilitation and advocating minimalist architecture that respects its environment. Taiwan has not finished transforming itself and surprising us!
