MAISON ACME | Yuan Shan Villa Introduction
During the Japanese colonial period, a tea merchant from Dadaocheng in Taipei named Chen Chao-jun established the Yong Yu Tea House. In 1913, he began constructing a Tudor-style mansion along the Keelung River in the Yuanshan area of Taipei City, completing it in 1914. The mansion served as a meeting place for Taiwanese gentry, government officials, and tea merchants from around the world, as well as a retreat and gathering space for his family members. Chen Chao-jun, who served as the president of the Taipei Tea Merchants Association, was one of the significant figures in Taiwan's flourishing tea industry at that time. When the mansion was completed, it was during the Japanese rule, a time when the government aimed to establish Taiwan as a center for politics, finance, and education. The government systematically expanded the streets of Taipei, paving tree-lined boulevards around the city and introducing various European architectural styles, creating a unique architectural landscape in Taiwan during that era. After Chen Chao-jun passed away in 1923, the house changed hands several times and underwent various transformations. After World War II, it served as the residence of former Legislative Yuan President Huang Kuo-shu and was acquired by the Taipei City Government in 1979, briefly serving as the Northern Division of the Park Street Light Management Office for office work and equipment storage. In December 1987, it was officially managed by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and established the "Artist Fellowship Center" in 1990. In 1998, it was designated as a historic site, and restoration and survey work began. Following the concept of adaptive reuse of historical sites, from April 19, 2003, to April 18, 2015, the historic site was adopted by Ms. Chen Kuo-tzu and opened as the "Taipei Story House" to introduce Taiwan's cultural life and promote the adaptive reuse of heritage sites. Through various activities and exhibitions, it allowed the public to engage with the historic site, breathing new life into it. Since May 2015, the Kuomusha Cultural and Educational Foundation has continued to operate the Taipei Story House, focusing on themes related to food, clothing, housing, transportation, entertainment, and planning related exhibitions and cultural activities to promote tea culture, continuing to tell stories within the "Taipei Story House." Meanwhile, it collaborates with the surrounding community, the public, and social resources to participate in preserving the historic site and promoting cultural heritage education, carrying on the legacy of the century-old mansion. The Taipei Story House is a rare half-timbered structure modeled after Tudor architecture, located by the Keelung River. The building's first floor features brick load-bearing walls, with the entrance highlighted by Corinthian columns. The second floor is constructed of wood, featuring beautifully branched wall surfaces designed with curved, vertical, and horizontal wood slats. The Gothic-style tower and chimney are made of brick, with the tower roof featuring curved eaves covered in copper tiles, which have developed verdigris over the years. Colorful stained glass in green, yellow, and red adorns the tower above the entrance, while the interior hosts two elegantly shaped fireplaces, along with many Art Nouveau-style relief tiles and chandeliers, characterized by nature and floral patterns that were popular in the early 20th century. The overall interior design and the outdoor balcony and terrace are closely integrated with the surrounding landscape, presenting an elegant style. In 2021, the ACME team officially took over the management of the Taipei designated historic site, the Yuanshan Villa (formerly the Taipei Story House). Constructed in 1913, this rare Tudor-style building quietly stands by the Keelung River, embodying over a century of sophistication. It was once the magnificent residence of legendary tea merchants in Dadaocheng and served as a social hub for leading artists and authors of the time. We have repositioned it as a modern residence and exhibition space that blends the new and the old.
