MAISON ACME | Yuanshan Bie Ti Introduction
During the Japanese colonial period, Chen Chao-jyun, a tea merchant from Dadaocheng in Taipei, built a Tudor-style villa by the Keelung River in the Yuanshan area of Taipei City in 1913, which was completed in 1914. This villa served as a gathering place for Taiwanese gentry, politicians, and tea merchants from various countries, as well as a location for family members to rest, vacation, and hold gatherings. Chen was the president of the Taipei Tea Merchants Association and was one of the important figures in the thriving Taiwanese tea industry at that time. When the house was completed, it was during the Japanese rule, when the government aimed to establish Taiwan as a center of politics, finance, and academic education, and deliberately expanded the streets of Taipei City, paving tree-lined avenues around the city; various European architectural styles were introduced and mixed, creating an intricate characteristic in the architecture of Taiwan during this era. The house built by Chen was a product of this trend. After Chen Chao-jyun passed away in 1923, the house changed hands several times and underwent multiple transformations. After World War II, it served as the residence of former Legislative Yuan president Huang Kuo-shu. In 1979, the Taipei City Government expropriated the property, temporarily using it as the station for the Northern Division of the Park Streetlight Management Office for office purposes and equipment storage. In December 1987, it was officially managed by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and in 1990, the "Artists' Fellowship Center" was established. The building was designated as a historical site in 1998, and subsequent investigations and restoration work began. Under the concept of heritage reuse, from April 19, 2003, to April 18, 2015, the historical site was adopted by Ms. Chen Kuo-tzu and sponsored as the "Taipei Story House," which was opened to the public to introduce Taiwan's lifestyle and culture and promote the reuse of cultural heritage. Through various activities and exhibitions, the public could easily connect with the historical site, giving it new life. Since May 2015, the Guo Musheng Educational Foundation took over the operation of the Taipei Story House, focusing on food, clothing, housing, transportation, and entertainment, planning related theme exhibitions and cultural activities, and promoting tea culture, continuing to tell stories at the "Taipei Story House." At the same time, it collaborates with nearby communities, citizens, and social resources to participate in maintaining the historical site and promoting cultural asset preservation education, continuing the history of the century-old house. The Taipei Story House, an imitation of Tudor-style architecture, is a rare architectural form in Taiwan. The first floor is made of brick as a load-bearing wall, with an Ionic column at the entrance. The second floor is wooden and features an elegant branch-like wall made of curved, vertical, and horizontal wooden slats. The Gothic tower and chimney are made of bricks, with an arched roof covered in copper tiles that develop a patina over time, leaving traces of the years. Above the entrance of the historical site, the tower is adorned with stained glass in green, yellow, and red colors. Inside, there are two beautifully shaped fireplaces and a large number of "Art Nouveau" style relief tiles and chandeliers that were popular in the early 20th century, rich in natural and floral patterns. The overall configuration of the indoor space, as well as the surrounding balcony and terrace, closely integrates with the surrounding landscape, presenting an elegant style. In 2021, the ACME team officially took over the management of the designated historical site, the Yuanshan Villa (formerly known as the Taipei Story House). Built in 1913, this rare Tudor-style building quietly overlooks the Keelung River, transcending over a century of history. Once the mansion of a legendary tea merchant from Dadaocheng, it has also been a social center for top artists and literary figures of the time. We are redefining it as a modern residential exhibition space that blends the new and the old.
