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Local architecture projects enjoying international fame

“This is the first time in four years — and a great honor — that a Taiwanese work has won a top prize at the world’s real-estate excellence awards.” — Huang Nan-yuen, president of Taiwan’s Real Estate Association

Taiwanese architecture received international recognition when Kaohsiung City’s “Heart of Love River” (愛河之心) river renovation and the Central Park Station on the MRT won two International Real Estate Federation awards.

The Heart of Love River won the Prix d’Excellence award in the environmental category, while the MRT station was recognized as a runner-up in the same category.

“This is the first time in four years — and a great honor — that a Taiwanese work has won a top prize at the world’s real-estate excellence awards,” Huang Nan-yuen (黃南淵), president of Taiwan’s Real Estate Association, one of 100 local members of the federation, told an award ceremony yesterday.

Praising her city’s award-winning projects, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) yesterday said the river project was notable for combining transportation with a waterway and integrating tourism, flood control and wetland conservation.

The river project included a man-made lake, an S-shaped bridge, renovated river banks with bike paths and an underground sewage system.

The MRT station incorporates natural scenery, including waterfalls that hide ventilation shafts.

In addition to the two public projects, Yui-Mom Construction Co’s (御盟建設) Yu Hua Yuan housing project and Pau Jar Construction Co’s (寶家建設) Mount Clarity housing project in the same city won runner-up prizes in the residential category of the international excellence award.

Lauding progress in the property sector, the federation’s world president, Lisa Kurrass, yesterday told the Taipei Times that the four Taiwanese projects were heartening.

Winning such recognition indicated that Taiwan was leading by example and taking care of the environment to leave a legacy to future generations, she said on the sidelines of yesterday’s ceremony in Taipei.

Taiwan’s annual Real Estate Excellence Awards were also handed out, with Chen, Taipei County Commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫緯), Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) and architect Joshua Pan (潘冀) of J.J Pan and Partners (潘冀聯合建築師事務所) receiving Special Contribution awards.

Chuang Nan-tien (莊南田), president of Prince Housing & Development Corporation (太子建設), was named person of the year, while Lili Chang (張麗莉), president of Treasure Dragon Corporation (龍寶建設) won an achievement award.

Commenting on Taiwanese design, Pan said that some local architects had incorporated international influences and shown a great deal of improvement in terms of aesthetics in recent years.

At the same time, he said some western-style luxury housing projects were unfortunate as they rejected any connection to Taiwanese culture.
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