With their port city at an important post-industrial crossroads, the municipal government of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, hosted a worldwide competition to rejuvenate a key former industrial site through the design of two live music venues, coupled with a maritime museum. Studio Gang’s design employed the concept of the “knot” in multiple ways.
 
Organized as a series of strands, the building’s tubular structures house the maritime museum and other programs. These strands wrap around the two main performance venues, one indoor and one outdoor, articulating them as smoothly shaped voids. The building’s organization makes it possible to explore each program independently or in sequence, or to occupy exciting places of overlap where multiple events can be seen at once.

The project is also tethered directly to the harbor and the city to capitalize on the energy and activity of Kaohsiung. A bridge that can transform into a floating grandstand and other water-centric elements make the entire harbor a space for urban performance, while shops, bars, and music clubs on the building’s city side tie into the bustle of its busy commercial streets.

Associate Architect: J.J. Pan & Partners
Structure: Arup Dublin
FP/MEP/BP: Arup Hong Kong
Acoustics: DHV
Scenography: dUCKS scéno
Landscape: SCAPE

Awards

2011 Third Prize, Kaohsiung Maritime Cultural and Pop Music Center International Competition