Chunmei Eslite Greenway Introduction
Designed by renowned architects Chen Rui-Hsien and Kuo Hsu-Yuan, this building was originally a semi-abandoned parking structure. After the Qimgui and Eslite teams took over, they aimed to blend the building with the surrounding greenery, adhering to the principle of respecting nature. After overcoming numerous challenges with the help of hundreds of experts, they decided to extend the greenery onto the walls, creating an urban vertical garden where plants and architecture coexist. This is Taiwan's first large-scale living wall, featuring a total of 120,000 plants growing naturally on its exterior. It includes 3 kilometers of water pipes that regularly provide moisture and nutrients, allowing the plants to absorb 200 kilograms of carbon dioxide and release 150 kilograms of oxygen daily, also helping to cool the environment and save electricity in the summer. With the collaboration of experts in architecture, structure, landscape, and botany, after more than a year of revisions and countless on-site inspections and ecological studies, they successfully addressed challenges related to structure, gravity, species selection, irrigation, drainage, typhoon resistance, and earthquake resilience, ultimately installing about 140,000 plants on the walls. To ensure the sustainable coexistence of plants and architecture, the living wall is equipped with a complete irrigation system that utilizes over 6,000 drip tubes, 3 kilometers of water pipes, and hundreds of nozzles, allowing the plants to self-sustain and thrive, also creating a habitat for various flowers, birds, and butterflies. Beyond the building’s appearance, the design also included the demolition of a prime area in the midst of the shopping center to create a stunning open space with a 5-story high, 20-meter indoor living wall filled with sunlight, air, and water. A meticulously designed mirror water pool for water circulation was also created, along with a stage in the water for cultural and creative performances. The Eslite Bookstore on the third floor stands as the largest flagship store in central Taiwan, making Qimgui Eslite Greenway a new landmark of nature and culture. It was awarded the National Excellent Construction Award in 2009 and represented Taiwan in receiving the "2010 Global Excellence in Architecture Award," often referred to as the Oscar of the real estate industry. The complex also features a children's area, music hall, Eslite wine cellar, various themed restaurants, a gourmet supermarket, and multifunctional exhibition halls, as well as over a hundred pings dedicated to Eslite stationery, lifestyle products, and designer fashion accessories, creating a vibrant atmosphere for fashion and creativity enthusiasts. Additionally, it is located near the National Museum of Natural Science, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, The Howard Plaza Hotel, Kaiser Hotel, and the Shihua International Building, allowing visitors to easily plan a delightful one-day tour.
