Image Credit : Sun Architect & Associates Ltd.
Project Overview
Since 1965, the Merica Language Institute has been offering test preparation courses and consultation services to students who aspire to pursue their education in English-speaking countries, especially the United States. With a rich history spanning over a century, this institution has helped more than 500000 students achieve their academic goals. It has catered to a diverse range of individuals, including renowned celebrities, government officials, and experts from various fields. Not only does the institute hold significant educational value within the community, but it also stands tall as a historical landmark of the city.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Sun Architect & Associates Ltd.
Team
LIN HSAN YIE, Sun Architect & Associates Ltd.
Project Brief
Recently, the original building underwent demolition and reconstruction intending to preserve the institute's historical context. The new building was thoughtfully designed by an architect to reflect the institute's heritage, ensuring that it continues to symbolise excellence and progress in education. The construction site is located at the intersection of three bustling streets, primarily connected to Nanyang Street in Taipei.
This area is well-known for its dense concentration of educational institutions and training centres throughout Taiwan. To preserve the iconic architectural significance of the vicinity, the architect has taken great care to retain some of the original building's most distinctive and visually appealing features. Additionally, in compliance with government building and urban planning regulations, the architect has ingeniously developed the structure with a "thick and stable base along with a delicate set-back upper body."
This approach ensures that the main characteristics of the original building are preserved while integrating it with the city's historical context. The architect's exceptional design skills guarantee that the building's arcade spatial configuration, movement of pedestrians and vehicles, and overall exterior space cohesiveness are maintained to the highest standards. Furthermore, the building is fully accessible to individuals with varying physical abilities, making it barrier-free.
Project Innovation/Need
The architect has successfully incorporated impressive design elements, including floor plans, structural systems, exterior wall openings, balconies, decorative grilles, and roof frames. The architect's precise and orderly design techniques have beautifully showcased both the structural mechanics and architectural aesthetics of the building's styles and materials. The building facade creates a sense of tension by contrasting the robust structural frame with the light glass exterior walls.
Additionally, the metal grille decorations are arranged in an irregular pattern, resembling blinds, on the outer walls and balconies. These grilles serve as both sunshades and lively decorative features. In addition, the architect hopes to integrate a monitoring system to enable these blinds to move, creating an animated and spatially expressive building. The most eye-catching areas in the district are the ground floors on the northeast and southeast sides of the building, which are situated at the corners of the road and the truncated corner of the building.
The architect has cleverly utilised this architectural feature and incorporated it for a variety of purposes, such as digital advertising or large TV walls. This design is expected to bring growth and business opportunities to the community and serves as a fantastic reflection of the corporate culture. The upper part of the building presents setbacks in the form of a balcony and terrace, creating a concave and convex transformation in the overall appearance of the building, which makes the architectural expression more dynamic and lively.
Design Challenge
The ground floor of the building's eastern facade, facing Nanyang Street, will serve as the main entrance and house various commercial establishments. The structure's upper levels have been designated for office and instructional purposes. A parking lot will be on the western side of the ground floor.
However, due to building regulations, the available space on the upper levels of the northwest and southwest sides will be more limited. Consequently, the architect has determined this area would be best utilised for utility, equipment, or other service purposes. The central area between the east and west sides is equipped with elevators and staircases to facilitate vertical mobility within the building.
Sustainability
The architects have set out to preserve the fundamental principles of "culture, education, heritage, and stability" while simultaneously infusing a fresh sense of "modernity, technology, wisdom, and nature" through a harmonious blend of design techniques. The edifice has been meticulously crafted to meet the barrier-free spatial design requirement standards. Moreover, this project has obtained multiple commendations, including the “Structure Accreditation Building”, “Green Building”, and “Intelligent Building”. It is a massive recognition to the architectural design team and a firm assurance of the residents’ health, convenience, comfort, and safety.
Architecture - Proposed - International
This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow. The project can be a concept, tender or personal project, i.e. proposed space.
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