Dadong Arts Center 大東文化藝術中心
Transportation: Dadong MRT Station, Exit 1.
Dadong Arts Center is a stunning architectural iteration of a multi-functional art space. Completed in March 2012, the four-building architecture is comprised of an 800-seat theatre, an exhibition center, a library, and an education center. It is designed to be both a state-of-the-art-venue for performance art as well as a public space where people can come and engage in social exchanges and outdoor activities.
The first thing that you will notice about Dadong Arts Center is the series of eye-catching, gigantic funnels. There are 11. Designed by Taiwanese architecture firm MAYU Architects (Malone Chang & Yu-Lin Chen) and Dutch architecture firm de Architekten Cie, the teams chose the funnel shape as a response to Kaohsiung’s climate. The funnels, on top of filtering the gorgeous Kaohsiung sunshine so that it is not scorching, also protects visitors from extreme weather conditions like typhoons. Typhoons are the same as hurricanes, which are both tropical cyclones—in the western Pacific they are called typhoons, while in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans they are called hurricanes. Taiwan, which sits in the Western Pacific Ocean, gets three to four big typhoons each year between June and October and the funnels help drain the water down during heavy rain.
Weiwuying Street Art Village 衛武營彩繪村
Transportation: Weiwuying MRT Station, Exit 5.
Kaohsiung’s cool, hip, and artsy new face does not end with Pier 2 Art Center (see the previous post), there is also Weiwuying Street Art Village. There are over 100 pieces of street art, including 32 murals created by artists from 15 different countries, including Russia, Thailand, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, and Spain. Be ready to stop and marvel and take pictures at every turn when wandering around in this 40-plus-year-old community!
Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts 衛武營國家藝術文化中心
Transportation: Weiwuying MRT Station, Exit 6.
If you have the time, be sure to go across the street and visit Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center. Even better, attend a performance and experience the incredible space inside and out. Discover upcoming performances HERE.
The impressive performance arts center sits on a vast 25-acre compound that was formerly a military base. The arresting undulating structure, which is built with a unique skin that can withstand the humidity and salinity of the port city, is inspired by the local banyan trees. These trees are known for their iconic aerial roots that grow downward and take root. The repeated formation of secondary trunks allows the original trees to achieve immense proportions and grow over a wide area. The canopies of leaves provide shelter against sun and rain. The performance arts center, like the banyan trees, also protects visitors from sun and rain as they enjoy the ample free space underneath the undulating curves.
Weiwuying Center for the Arts is designed by Taiwanese architecture firm Archasia Design Group and Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo. The performance arts center was completed in 2018, following a 15-year construction. It is selected by Time Magazine as one of the “World’s 100 Greatest Places 2019,” alongside Sinai’s Red Sea Mountain Trail, Tokyo’s Mori Building Digital Art Museum, and The Shed in New York.
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