Taipei Ark Introduction
The coexistence of the past and present, reorganizing spatial patterns. "N24 Taipei Ark" was originally one of the warehouses of the Taiwan Power Company Center, initially the Matsuyama Plant of Taiwan Electric Power Company during the Japanese occupation, and later served as the Matsuyama Repair Plant of the Taiwan Power Company after the war. Originally, the building was used as a warehouse, which did not have favorable conditions for lighting and ventilation in its design. After understanding the functional needs and characteristics of the structure, the design team, in line with the East District Gateway Project, aimed for office use in the design. The renovation approach emphasizes separating the warehouse volume and extending outward to allow more natural light into the interior. The increased height of the rooftop allows for a reconfiguration of the office space, enabling vertical relationships to unfold. Incorporating new functions to respond to new era trends, the design team, based on the concept of community mobility, breaks the limitations of spatial patterns and plans flexible functional spaces for office work, discussions, and relaxation, allowing users to maintain their freedom of interaction while working. Additionally, considering the building itself is a historical structure, the design team not only reinforced the hardware with steel structure reinforcement and seismic walls but also preserved the exterior materials and overall signs of use, using the steel structure as new building material to complement the original materials. The respectful restoration approach, preserving part of the original appearance within the historical context, allows us to view the mottled wall from various perspectives and see the traces left by time. Moreover, upon ascending to the second floor and entering the office space of the "Blockchain Incubation Center," the design team chose seismic walls as a point-like structure to address issues caused by the building’s age while preserving the beauty of the original reinforced concrete structure. Following the light and the spiral staircase of the atrium, one arrives at the rooftop area. The sloped volume of the atrium on the top floor is designed with side-opening windows, allowing ample sunlight to enter the atrium, and the shape of the volume echoes the "ark" imagery of "N24 Taipei Ark," becoming a representative symbol of the park's entrance. Extending the context, redefining community space, the design team observes contemporary community connections and, in conjunction with the "N24 Taipei Ark" serving as office space for the Blockchain Center, expands the definition of "community" space to encompass interactions within "social communities." This relationship, whether physical or virtual, vividly depicts the future modes of human interaction and is indeed one of the development trends. By combining core concepts with design techniques, the restoration of the space creates a "human-centered" architectural environment that redefines the charm of the space.
