The National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)on Friday was named by Time magazine as one of the “World’s 100 Greatest Places” alongside Egypt’s Red Sea Mountain Trail and Washington’s Newseum.
Described by the magazine’s latest annual list as the “new home to the largest performing arts center in the world under a single roof,” Weiwuying is the first institution in the nation to be named on the list.
The sleek, wave-shaped building, which opened in October last year following 15 years of construction, was built on the site of a former Japanese military base and Republic of China military base.
Photo: Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts
According to Weiwuying’s Web site, the design by Dutch architect Francine Houben's firm Mecanoo was inspired by the sinuous canopy created by clusters of banyan trees found in the park next to the center.
Since its opening, the four performance venues inside the center have seen world-class acts, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Germany’s Berliner Philharmoniker, while the fifth, outdoor, venue has attracted large crowds for open-air performances.
The center has also attracted the attention of the BBC, the New York Times, the Guardian, National Geographic and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Weiwuying said in a statement that being selected as one of the world’s top 100 places by the US magazine is the result of the collective effort of the operation team and other staff.
The center is committed to hosting more high-quality performances, it said.
To compile the list, Time solicited nominations across a variety of categories, including museums, parks, restaurants and hotels, the magazine said.
Each nomination is evaluated based on quality, originality, sustainability, innovation and influence, Time said.
This article has been updated since it was first published to correct the name of the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts.
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