Pier-2 Art Center Introduction
The old warehouse has found new life, becoming a creative base for culture in the port city. The Pier-2 Art Center, once a cluster of warehouses at Kaohsiung Port, traces its origins back to the Japanese colonial period when it was primarily used for storing fish meal, sugar, and various import and export goods. With industrial changes, the decline in global sugar prices in the 1970s led to the gradual downfall of Taiwan's sugar industry and a decrease in warehouse usage, ultimately rendering these warehouses abandoned. As cargo functions in the port shifted, surrounding commercial activities began to decline, and this warehouse cluster transformed from a once-thriving trade hub into a forgotten port area. Since 2000, the Kaohsiung City Government and the arts community have focused on this cluster of warehouses, progressively revitalizing them through the "Idle Space Reuse Project," naming it "Pier-2" due to its location at the No. 2 transfer terminal of Kaohsiung Port. By 2006, Pier-2 was officially handed over to the Cultural Bureau of Kaohsiung City, developing into the most representative cultural and artistic park in Southern Taiwan, attracting various art exhibitions, design creations, and musical events. It has become an essential indicator of Kaohsiung's urban transformation, infusing new cultural energy into this harbor city. Today, the Pier-2 Art Center has morphed into a hub of art and creativity, providing a vibrant cultural space for citizens and tourists alike. With the opening of the Kaohsiung Waterfront Light Rail, traveling to Pier-2 has become more convenient, as the light rail connects the warehouses and the harbor, linking various exhibition spaces and unique attractions, allowing visitors to wander freely while experiencing the distinct artistic atmosphere and urban aesthetics. Pier-2 Art Center focuses on the Dayong District, connecting the Penglai District and the Dayi District through the waterfront light rail, creating a unique marine cultural and creative atmosphere. The Pier-2 Tower serves as the best viewing platform to overlook the Grand Harbor Bridge, with an admission fee of 10 NT dollars per person. Opening hours for the Pier-2 Tower: Monday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and Friday to Sunday and public holidays from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM. The Dayong Warehouse Cluster is the starting point for the development of the Pier-2 Art Center, featuring the earliest exhibition spaces and a convergence of contemporary art, visual culture, and cultural performance venues. Among these, the P2 and C5 warehouses are the original exhibition areas of Pier-2 and primarily host static art exhibitions to this day. The C1 and C2 warehouses now house in89 Pier-2 Cinema, while the C4 warehouse hosts the Eslite Bookstore. In recent years, a "Pier-2 Co-Creation Base" has been added to the Pier-2 Art Center, a newly planned cultural space developed as an open platform integrating co-creation values and knowledge sharing to promote deepening culture and urban transformation. These changes have transformed the Dayong Warehouse Cluster into a site that not only facilitates exhibitions but also incorporates visual media, reading, and innovative experiments, continuously injecting diverse cultural energy into the Pier-2 Art Center. The Penglai Warehouse Cluster was officially incorporated into the Pier-2 Art Center in 2012, linking with the Hamasen Railway Cultural Park to showcase Kaohsiung's century-old railway history and contemporary artistic creativity. Notably, the Hamasen Taiwan Railway Museum within the warehouses is renowned for having Asia's largest dynamic railway model exhibition, attracting countless railway enthusiasts and family visitors. Additionally, the Penglai Warehouse Cluster serves as an important venue for performance activities and specialized markets, regularly hosting outdoor concerts, art markets, and immersive exhibitions, blending modern culture with this historical warehouse to become one of the most charming cultural clusters in the harbor city. The Dayi Warehouse Cluster consists of six warehouses, making it the final area added to the Pier-2 map. It mainly accommodates individual business studios as a cultural and creative industry development base, featuring a variety of unique shops, public art pieces hidden in corner alleys, and weekend cultural markets, making it the most artsy area in the entire art park. The Pier-2 Art Center frequently hosts several annual art events, such as the Kaohsiung Design Festival, Container Art Festival, Pier-2 Comic Festival, and Steel Sculpture Art Festival, bringing together domestic and international artists and designers. Through exhibitions, installation art, musical performances, and immersive experiences, art becomes part of urban life, injecting unique cultural vitality into Kaohsiung. Whether participating in these art events or strolling along the harbor with the gentle sea breeze, the Pier-2 Art Center has become an integral part of the lives of art lovers, creative travelers, and citizens alike. It is not just a tourist attraction but an evolving artistic enclave that allows every visitor to find their own stories and inspirations within this cultural landmark.
