Urban planners in Taiwan are turning the area around the Taoyuan airport and high-speed rail station into an art hub where the new Taoyuan Museum of Fine Art (TMoFA) will be located.

In 2018 the Taoyuan City Council hosted an international competition for architecture firms to design the new museum. Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop from Japan and Joe Shih Architects from Taiwan created the winning design, “The Hill.”

Resembling a hill, the museum features two buildings with slanted green roofs on either side of a raised railway. Terraces on the roofs, linked by zigzagging walkways, will display artworks. Beneath the roof, a structure called “The Cube” will house permanent exhibitions and establish a connection to an outdoor space with walking paths and playgrounds.

Three subsidiary art centers are also part of the museum complex: The Taoyuan Children’s Art Center, the Hengshan Calligraphy Art Center, and the Chunglu Art Center.

The Taoyuan Children’s Art Center aims to inspire creativity and imagination in children through exposure to art and culture. The center includes permanent exhibits, workshops, a multi-media classroom, a library, and an educational resource center.

The Hengshan Calligraphy Art Center is Taiwan’s first museum dedicated to the art of calligraphy. According to the official TMoFA website, the goal is to “preserve, study, develop, and promote Taiwanese calligraphic art,” while also providing an opportunity for international exchanges that focus on the art form.

Finally, the Chunglu Art Center will focus on sharing experimental contemporary art that creates social and cultural innovation. The museum will offer residencies to up-and-coming artists and provide platforms for the co-creation of artworks.

Construction of the museum began in January of 2019 and is slated to wrap up in 2023.

Learn More:
Competition for Taiwan Art Museum
Taoyuan Museum of Fine Art