16 Jan 2019
MVRDV reveal vision for Taiwanese 'Times Square'
BY Andrew Manns
Dutch architecture practice MVRDV have unveiled renderings of an eye-catching twin tower development planned for central Taipei.
Dubbed a "Times Square for Taiwan" the firm's Twin Towers, which will occupy defunct or underused areas around Taipei's main station, will feature two cinemas and hotels, as well as a series of retail outlets and offices.
The 434,000 sq m mixed-use site – designed to appear as stacks of multicoloured blocks – will also comprise a multilevel plaza that will function as a permanent installation, serving as both an "archaeological study" and an events venue.
Speaking on MVRDV’s vision for the project, Winy Maas, the company's founder said: "The Taipei Twin Towers will turn this area into the downtown that Taipei deserves, with its vibrant mixture of activities matched only by the vibrant collection of facade treatments on the stacked neighbourhood above."
He continued: "We break down the required programme into pleasant small blocks that echo the surrounding urban quarters, thus fitting the density into its surroundings.
"People can climb over the blocks to the top – a true vertical village."
MVRDV is working to realise the project in cooperation with a team of designers and engineers, including TOPOTEK 1, ARUP, CHY Architecture Urban Landscape, RWDI, and Mercury Fire Engineering Consulting.
Like the recently announced Vanke 3D City, which is taking shape in Shenzhen, China, the project is part of MVRDV's continued investigations into the potentialities of high-rise buildings.
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