SPOT - Taipei Film House Introduction
The building features a two-story Western architecture with a white exterior and Greek columns, resembling the Southern Colonial style of the United States. It served as the residence for U.S. ambassadors such as Leonard A. Woodcock, John Leverett Spalding, and William Kirkland. After the severance of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and China in 1979, the last ambassador left Taiwan, and the building was officially closed. After being vacant for a long time, the Ministry of the Interior designated it as a Level 3 historical site on February 20, 1997, which led to a new opportunity. The Cultural Affairs Bureau of Taipei City commissioned the Taiwan Film Culture Association to manage it, transforming it into the "Taipei House," focused on film culture. It features the Guangdian Cinema with 88 seats. "Guangdian Red Balloon" offers light snacks in a movie salon that can accommodate about 50 people and is open to the public every day before 5 PM. The Gallery Corridor showcases works by various artists, while a multifunctional art hall, covering an area of 25 pings, can accommodate around 60 people and includes a bookshelf with film-related materials for public reading; it can host lectures, discussions, tea parties, and more. The "Guangdian Coffee Time" café is located by the garden alongside an old tree, and "Guangdian Living" is a bookstore dedicated to the themes of "film" and "city." Taipei Guangdian shines a beautiful light on Taipei's film culture.
