Riken Yamamoto reveals Taoyuan Museum of Art design

In 2017, the Taoyuan City Government ran a competition to select designs for a new art museum capable of holding large-scale exhibitions currently impossible to host in local facilities, which are geared more towards the performing arts and smaller events. Following a first stage evaluation selecting four contenders, the winners were announced as Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop, working in collaboration with Joe Shih Architects, THR ARTECH, Ove Arum & Partners, Nagata Acoustics, and Izumi Okayasu Lightning Design. 

Images of the winning entry have now been released, revealing a close adherence to the brief’s description of a museum that should itself be sculpted to mimic an artwork, blending in with the surrounding park. The city of Taoyuan has earned the nickname "Thousand-Pond Township" due to the numerous irrigation ponds across its low-lying plateau. Riken Yamamoto named their design “The Hill”, emphasising the influence of nature expressed through a distinctive sloping green roof featuring artwork, pavilions, trees, and an outdoor theatre. Underneath, a structure called “The Cube” contains permanent exhibitions and collections.

The jury praised the design’s bold and innovative appearance, together with the flexible use of space and subtle integration with the surrounding blue-green pond garden. The emphasis on the creation of an accessible destination also won unanimous approval from the judges, with the building’s outer slopes forming platforms for cultural activities and allowing artists to display their products, while the Art Square is equipped with facilities such as pavilions and cycle paths, enabling the public to enjoy the museum’s natural surroundings.

Lucy Nordberg

TenderStream Research Specialist & Editor

This competition was first published by Tenderstream on 10.10.2017. See the original brief here

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