The owner of a Baroque-style building in Taoyuan on Monday responded to netizens on US social Web site Reddit, saying that there are no monsters or vampires in the building.
The building became the topic of a heated discussion on the site, with some users saying that the granite building “is 99 percent certain to have vampires or monsters in it.”
The owner, a 54-year-old man surnamed Hsiao (蕭), rejected the claim, jokingly saying that he is “also not a 70 or 80-year-old man, but rather just someone who thinks most Taiwanese buildings are too ugly.”
Photo: Cheng Shu-ting, Taipei Times
Hsiao said that he simply wanted to make a building that was special and aesthetically pleasing.
He shared photographs of the inside of the building with users on the site to prove his claims that it was not a home to vampires.
He said he has been visited by representatives of TV stations in Shanghai and Japan, with producers telling him the building should house an art museum.
Photo: Cheng Shu-ting, Taipei Times
Hsiao said he plans to use the building as his office and as a guest house.
The building has a basement and seven usable above-ground floors of about 155m2 each, as well as three observation floors above them, he said.
Following seven years of construction, Hsiao just more than a year ago received permits allowing him to move into the building, he said, adding that contractors are still working on the interior.
Hsiao said that he hopes the multimillion-dollar building will leave visitors in awe, adding that the interior would be palatial, in contrast to the “subdued exterior.”
All fixtures and furniture are being handmade and assembled on site, with many being made to resemble classic European decorations and furniture, he said.
The lead wood craftsman on the project, a man surnamed Hsu (徐), said it is the first project of its kind he has encountered in his 30 years of experience.
“Each detail is time-consuming. If the owner is unhappy with the work, my team takes it apart and redoes it,” Hsu said.
Even standard nails cannot be used, as the building’s custom walls are outside normal specifications, he added.
The building has been the subject of many discussions since construction began, while architecture professors have taken their students to study it.
The online discussions about the building went overboard, Hsiao said, adding that he felt compelled to reply and show people the interior.
Hsiao said that his decision to copy European architecture grew from frequent trips to Europe, adding that he feels Taiwan could benefit from classical architecture.
“But maybe in carrying out my ideas I have made what was once cool seem out of touch with the times,” Hsiao said jokingly.
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