Kaohsiung arts center heralds southern cultural boom

2016/04/20

Wei Wu Ying Center for the Arts in Kaohsiung City is set for completion in June, sowing the seeds for the rise of southern Taiwan as a hub of performing arts in Asia.

Designed by internationally renowned Mecanoo Architecten b.v., a Netherlands-based architecture and planning company led by Francine M. J. Houben, the world-class performance center is set to open in 2017. It incorporates flowing lines and blends seamlessly with the many banyan trees dotting the 65-hectare site.

The center boasts 141,000 square meters of floor space, a central theater seating 2,260, a medium-sized auditorium accommodating 1,254, a concert hall for 2,000 and a recital hall holding 470. Other facilities include an outdoor plaza and a rooftop promenade.

During an inspection tour of the NT$10.6 billion (US$327.4 million) project April 17, President Ma Ying-jeou said the center highlights the commitment of the government to vitalizing the southern Taiwan cultural scene, as well as promoting balanced regional development.

“Only culture makes a city great,” Ma said, adding that fostering prosperity through cultural development has been one of the government’s core policies over the past eight years.

“Concerted efforts led by the Executive Yuan and Ministry of Culture have seen this policy pay handsome dividends in establishing such landmark facilities as National Taichung Theater in central Taiwan,” he said. “The Kaohsiung center is a cutting-edge facility and the nation’s largest cultural investment since the National Concert Hall and Theater was inaugurated 1987 in Taipei City.”

The center is expected to further spur Kaohsiung’s performing arts development, as evidenced in recent years by the opening of Dadong Arts Center, Pier-2 Art Center and main library. A creative revival is underway throughout the region, reflecting the success of the government in helping the people of Taiwan better appreciate the role of culture in enriching their daily lives and society as a whole.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=243971&ctNode=2194&mp=9)