The international competition for a new service building in Taiwan’s major port city Keelung called for the design of a modern passenger and cargo terminal transfer station and maritime gateway art plaza. The objective is to improve the quality of the services for passengers and cargo, accelerate the development of surrounding areas, and ultimately promote local prosperity of the region. The new service building design is to be a new “Gateway to the Nation” – one that could become a form of Landmark Architecture of Keelung. The site of the new building should be integrated with the other commercial buildings in an effort to develop the entire area. The diverse programs cover an area of 82,615 m2 and include car and coach parking.
The two-stage competition was announced in early May 2012 and recieved thirty one submissions from twelve countries in the first stage. On July 19th the jury unveiled five nominated groups to continue to the second stage whose deadline is in September.
Follow us after the break for details on the five shortlisted firms.
The five firms shortlisted to continue to the second stage of the New Keelung Harbor Service Building International Competition are as follows:
- Neil M. Denari Architects, Inc. (USA)
- Platform for Architecture+Research (USA) and Series et Series (France)
- ACDF* Architecture (Canada)
- Mecanoo Architecten (The Netherlands)
- Asymptote Architecture (USA) and 大元聯合建築師事務所 (R.O.C.)
The firms are responsible for proposing the planning and design layout, including diagrams, models and presentations, to the jury. The subsidiary of Keelung Harbor Company will provide the firms with tours and land and sea information of the site, including views and dimensions to facilitate the design phase of the competition. The jury includes Aaron Betsky and Michael Speaks, Taiwanese architects and professionals, including Tsai Yuan-Liang, Jin Guan-Yu, Su Yu-Jer, Wan Ming-Hen, and Wei Si-Jen. The competition will commence on September 11th, 2012 and will be judged according to innovation and creativity in addition to feasibility. The goal for the new Keelung Harbor Service Building is to serve as a landmark and gateway for the city, as well as a spark for the renewal of the surrounding area.
via Bustler and Keelung Harbor Service Building International Competition
