MVRDV has released images of "Out of the Box", a 12,025 sqm residential tower in Tianmu, one of Taipei's northernmost neighborhoods. Designed for Win Sing Development Company, the project began in 2019 and was developed using a system of standardized elements digitally distributed based on criteria such as habitability, efficiency, and access to community services. These elements are expressed in the tower's irregular, gridded façade, which features a layered marble cladding.
The newly released images show a 25-story tower with a cantilevered grid façade. Its overhanging outdoor spaces offer panoramic views of the city bay, downtown Taipei, and the nearby Yangmingshan National Park. The tower is centrally located within a small block along Zhongshan North Road, a main arterial route connecting central Taipei with its northern districts. Its scale surpasses the surrounding low- to mid-rise buildings, a contrast that is emphasized through its stepped balconies and protrusions.
The projecting "boxes" on the façade form loggias, balconies, terraces, and additional interior areas. Their design is based on a cross-referencing of Taiwanese building regulations for outdoor spaces. The largest of the boxes extends six meters in depth, comprising a two-meter indoor extension, a two-meter covered loggia, a two-meter open balcony, and a terrace of equal depth on the floor above. The building's floor plans are composed of a limited number of repeating apartment types, with the boxes introducing subtle variations across the structure.
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Where Form Speaks Volumes: 7 Buildings to Explore Taiwan's Unique Cultural ArchitectureThe size and placement of the boxes were determined through digital scripting, which analyzed variables such as sun exposure, space efficiency, and access to services. As a result, each of the building's 93 apartments features a unique layout. The residential offering is complemented by shared amenities, including a rooftop communal terrace and a multifunctional space on the ground floor. Landscaping around the tower includes a swimming pool and a green park integrated between adjacent buildings.
Considering this building's location and its low-rise neighbours, we knew that this would be a building for viewing –something to see, and something to see from. How could we express that in our design? The boxes popping out from the building signify this quality. They literally reach out into the surroundings, providing ideal lookout platforms to see the mountains and the city. From the street, they form distinctive, eye-catching features for passers-by. – Winy Maas, MVRDV founding partner
In addition to housing, the development includes commercial components. Existing shop owners on the street are to be provided with new spaces on the ground floor of a new companion building, which features a similar gridded design and matching materials. This building also continues the roofline and façade alignment of neighboring structures.
Recent news from MVRDV includes its participation in the Time Space Existence exhibition in Venice with the SOMBRA Pavilion's kinetic shading system; the transformation of a vacant church into a public swimming pool in Heerlen, the Netherlands; and a competition win for the design of a new multifunctional market and food hall in Zhubei, Taiwan. Earlier this year, the firm also presented a temporary installation made from recycled plastic mats at Bangkok Design Week, unveiled a strategic densification plan for Roosendaal, and shared new images of LuLa Light Mall, an open-air shopping center currently under construction in Chengdu's Luxelakes Eco-City in China.
