JET Architecture in joint venture with CXT Architects and Archasia Design Group earned an Honorable Mention for the Kaohsiung Port and Cruise Service Center International Competition in September 2010. Their entry, “Openair,” ranked in the top five, advancing the scheme to the second stage of the competition. Now, they decided to submit their competition entry for the Kaohsiung Port and Cruise Service Center International Competition to Azure’s AZ AWARDS, the magazine’s first annual international competition recognizing excellence in design. The project was chosen as a finalist for the AZ AWARDS in the Concepts: Unbuilt Competitions Entries category and is eligible for the AZ People’s Choice Awards. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The continued success of Taiwan as one of Asia’s prominent economies lies in the ability of its cities to adapt and evolve in order to compete within the global trade network. Being one of Taiwan’s oldest cities and being a major Asian seaport places Kaohsiung within the highest rank of cities that will influence Taiwan’s future trajectory.
The successful hosting of the World Games in 2009 marked a milestone on Kaohsiung’s ambitious plan to transform itself from a historical port city into an international metropolis, and national contemporary, cultural hub. The transformative ability demonstrated by Kaohsiung serves testament to a city whose residents are practical, resourceful, and adaptive to the forces of change; during the post-war era, the city succeeded in forging a steel industry from the skeletal ruins of the port itself.
In recent years, Kaohsiung has become a hot spot where Taiwanese filmmakers have based their cinematic explorations. Their movies have captured the distinctive personality of a city in transition; a peaceful city; a city bonded to the sea; a place sustained by its industrial heritage; a city pushing into the post-industrial era. These unique traits and urban lineage set Kaohsiung apart from other Taiwanese regions and firmly place its ambitions within the pantheon of such exalted metropolises as New York City, London, and Shanghai.
Concept
Openair seeks to capture the spirit of Kaohsiung, of this vibrant city, in the sensual form of the port and cruise service centre. By marrying traditional passive energy techniques with modern inventiveness and technologies, Openair embraces the sub-tropical climate through its series of open and enclosed spaces. The terminal stakes a position between city and sea, providing breathtaking vistas upon each, and facilitating unencumbered movement between these flanking realms.
Architectural Concept
At an elemental level, the port and cruise service centre is designed to facilitate the movement of passengers, tourists and clients, both nationally and internationally. It also acts as a catalyst to energize Kaohsiung’s waterfront in using contemporary architecture to improve public connectivity and to meet the cultural and recreational needs of the city. The new terminal will be an iconic gateway to Kaohsiung and will become the focal point of a vibrant new waterfront district.
Light, wind and openness
This design explores the possibilities and implications of open air spaces within the context of contemporary terminal technology and design. We believe that through strategic intervention and the location of passive elements, carefully planned openness is suitable for a water edge project with Kaohsiung’s climate. This bold approach will set a new ecological standard in contemporary public building design.
Inspired by the sea
The tectonic articulation of Openair, the ferry and cruise ship terminal, is inspired by its maritime setting and the anticipation that accompanies the arrival of ships from distant shores, as they rise over the far horizon and draw to port in a new land. The aesthetic expression recalls the contrast of a starkly outlined hull against a wide sky and rolling sea.
Architects: JET Architecture, CXT Architects, Archasia Design Group Location: Kaohsiung, Taiwan Collaborators: FRONT – Building Façade Design Consultant, Gehry Technologies – Building Information Modelling Consultant, IDEE Enigineering – local MEP Engineering, Ken Greenberg – Urban Planning Advisor, Lightemotion – Lighting Designers, Opresnik Engineering Consultants – Sustainability Consultant, Malone Chang Architects – local Landscape Architect and Planning Consultant, Royal Haskoning – Cruise Terminal Consultant , SU International – local Traffic and Transportation Consultant, TH Tsai and Associates – local Structural Engineer , Thornton Tomasetti – Structural Engineer, Transsolar – Climate Engineering, Yuan-Tai Engineering – local HVAC Engineering Client: Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau Materials: Fritted Glass and Painted Steel Cladding, Concrete and Steel Structure Size: 55,000 sm
