Before rebuilding efforts begin in earnest in the quake-stricken areas, something should be considered which may have escaped the notice of construction engineers.
While new buildings should, naturally, be constructed using sound building techniques (proper rebar and no empty 18-liter salad oil tins embedded in the concrete), architects should think seriously about the esthetics of what they are doing.
Taiwan is littered with row upon row of ghastly cement boxes called apartments. A planned community in Siberia has more character than the drab blocks that have nearly become synonymous with the landscape in the cities of Taiwan.
One starting point could easily be the rebuilding of the hotels in and around the Sun Moon Lake area. The current attempt to be stylish consists of gluing millions of small, colored bathroom tiles to the outside of the cement walls. Surely a scenic lakeside resort should be adorned with attractive hotels and shops.
Constructing buildings that complement the natural beauty of the area makes good business sense as well. Tourists will feel better and be more inclined to return to the lake if they feel that they can stay in a place that not only has natural beauty, but one where the atmosphere gives them a positive impression.
Once contractors understand that this principle applies to residential blocks as well, we may have a chance to get away from the ramshackle and depressing structures that are now so ubiquitous around the island.
Mark Wolfe is a journalist living in Taipei.
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