MAD Architects Fuses Architecture and Landscape

Beijing based MAD Architects has completed the futuristic design for the Taichung Convention Center, its first project in Taiwan commissioned by the Taichung city government.

The Issey Miyake inspired pleated design is a continuous weave of architecture and landscape that blurs the boundaries between architecture, public space and urban landscape, based on Eastern philosophy, cultivating a harmonized synthesis between human and nature, while drawing attention to sustainable development and growth.

The idea is for the center to become a local landmark and help redefine the cultural landscape of the city.

The surface of the “mountains” is a high-tech, eco-friendly pleated “skin” system. The smocking-like envelope provides air flow to the building while keeping energy consumption at a minimum by utilizing solar energy.

The architecture’s volcano and crater-shaped formation are built according to existing site conditions and simultaneously shape and influence the surrounding environment, opening up a dialogue between architecture and landscape. The building area will cover more than 2.3 million sq ft and will include various entertainment possibilities, such as retail, offices, parking, etc.

This approach to sustainable development is based not on technology, but on traditional philosophy and aesthetics.