Taichung Prefectural Hall Introduction
The history of Taichung's municipal construction began during the late Qing Dynasty, under the governance of Liu Ming-chuan. A large-scale fortification known as the Taiwan Prefectural City was built, intended to serve as the provincial capital and to control both northern and southern regions. After the 1895 cession of Taiwan, the Japanese military established the "Taiwan Civil Administration Branch" in the official building complex located in the northwest corner inside the Xiaobei Gate of the Taiwan Prefectural City. Subsequently, as the administrative system changed during the Meiji period, it was known by different names, such as Taichung City Hall and Taichung Office. Starting in the Taisho era, construction of new Taichung Office buildings commenced in phases, using this area as a development base. The Qing Dynasty government office was gradually demolished from the outside in, and from east to west, to make way for modern official buildings. The Governor's Office was part of the "permanent office building" construction project during the Japanese rule and was designed concurrently with the original Taipei Office (now the Control Yuan) and the original Tainan Office (now the National Center for Traditional Arts), making them sister projects that served as new official buildings for the three first-class offices of that time. Together with the Governor-General's Office (now the Presidential Office), they represented the early stages of transitioning from wooden temporary structures and early brick-wood hybrid constructions to a more durable reinforced brick construction during the maturity phase. This significant building type played an important role in Taiwan's architectural history. In comparison to other existing examples and sister projects in terms of construction results and current preservation status, the Taichung Office retains much of its original structure in good condition, holding high preservation significance and value for the study of modern architectural history. It continues to function as a local administrative center and represents regional historical events and changes. Currently, it is temporarily designated as a historic building. Construction of the Taichung Office began in 1912, with the first phase completed in 1913. After undergoing four expansions, it reached its current scale in 1934, designed by the Japanese architect Matsuno Suenobu. The Taichung Office administered Taichung City and the counties of Changhua and Nantou, while the Taichung City Hall served as the city government at that time. After World War II, the Taichung City Government moved its office to the current site, and the Taichung Office was designated as a municipal historic site. The overall design of the Taichung Office is modeled after the French Mascarene style, with the main façade featuring a distinct "Mascarene" style roof. The structure is a two-story building with an L-shaped floor plan, oriented to the east, featuring a tower-like protruding structure in the center. Each section of the façade has corner towers that connect seamlessly to the two wing buildings. The entrance lobby on the first floor has Corinthian columns, while the second floor uses Ionic columns, and a recessed balcony reinforces the shadow effect of the façade. The design of the Taichung Office highlights its political status and importance in the urban setting, with the main entrance located at the corner of a significant street, a characteristic feature of official buildings from the Japanese rule era.
