When architecture becomes political performance

When architecture becomes a political performance: Documents of contemporary international competitions in Taiwan from 2003 to 2020 Heng Li Wang​丨​ 5071976​丨​ TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

Abstract This thesis documents the international competitions held by the government of Taiwan from 2003 to 2020 in chronological order, with the relation to the timeline of political developments. Since 2003, the completion of a public building has became the most effective political propaganda, which every politician is addicted to: every time a new project is opened, the satisfaction of the polls will increase correspondingly. Hence, in the name of gaining reputation internationally and increasing domestic employment, these kinds of projects spread like an infectious disease all over the country. From 2004 to 2017, there were thirty-two competitions for public buildings in Taiwan. Twenty-one of them were won by foreign architects, in contrast, only one was won by a domestic architect (New Taipei City Museum of Arts completed in 2019 by Kris Yao).

Focusing on the architecture built by ​“star architects”, Taipei Performing Arts Center which designed by ​OMA​, for example, was widely criticized for increasing the budget of construction continuously. The building should be ​accomplished by 2014, but the progress was forced to shut down due to the bankruptcy of the construction unit. The ​Tainan Art Museum by ​Shigeru Ban​, as a more recent case which just opened in January 2019.

According to ​Hsu Pei Jin, a local architect who has the experience of participating in both national and international competitions, Shigeru Ban ​is questioned for the reason of being elected among other strong competitors. Some domestic architects argue that it was just a copy-paste of Shigeru Ban’s own work, which failed to be chosen in the competition of the M+ museum in Hong Kong. “​T​he only reason he won is that he just got the Pritzker Architecture Prize”​, said a local architect in 2017. The ​Taichung Tower ​(​Fig. 01​)​, as the most debated case, the organizer even limited the qualification of foreign architects. Local architects cannot participate in the contest at all. This exclusion is because the more famous the architect is, the more effective it will be as a propaganda of the political performances, according to JJPan in 2017. Under the circumstances, why is the government of Taiwan still looking for ​“star architects” ​to implant some massive objects, which have little connection with our own culture and built environment? How is the progress of international competitions influenced by political factors?

Keywords: International Competition, Taiwan, Democratic Politics, Star Architects, Taipei Performing Arts Center, ​Tainan Art Museum, ​Taichung Tower Research Methodology: This research makes use of contemporary newspapers, governmental sources and individual publications by the ​Taiwan Architect Megazine.​ The inquiry took place during research stays in TU Delft, and a field trip to Taiwan.

Key Publications: - Taiwan Architect Megazine NO.460(2013/04) - Taiwan Architect Megazine NO.244(2016/01) Cover: Figure 01, Taipei Performing Arts Center by OMA (under construction since 2012)

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Table of contents

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………..…..…. ​ 01 ​

Table of contents...………………………………………………………………………..……..

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Introduction………………………………………………………………………...…………….. ​ 03 ​

[Chapter 1] Documentation of International Competitions [1.1] The national initiative before 2004...………………………………………... ​ ​ 05 [1.2] The regional development from 2004 to 2008…………………………….​ ​ [1.3] The start of the political commercialization from 2009……………….….​

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[1.4] International competitions after 2011………...……………………………. ​ ​ 12 [1.5] Analytical diagram in chronological order…...………………..…………. ​ ​ 15 [Chapter 2] The influence of Political factor on International Competition in Taiwan [2.1] The political context dated back to 2003.………………………………... ​

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[2.2] The relationship between Political events and different phases of international competitions……………………………………..…………….. ​ ​ 18 [2.2.1] The announcement or the initiation of competitions before elections…………………………………………………………………..​

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[2.2.2] The constructionally starting or completing of competitions before elections……………………………………….…………………………..​

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[2.2.3] The renaming of projects after party alternations..………………​ ​ ​ 22 ​

[2.3] Analytical diagram sorted by different regions…...………………………

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Conclusion…………….…..…………………………………………………………..………….

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Annotated Photography….…..……………………………………………………………....​ ​

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Annotated Bibliography….…..………………………………………………………………..

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Introduction

Spatiotemporal Context and trend of International Competition in Taiwan “International competitions had made Taiwan an experimental lab for star architects, and a performance stage for pompous politicians.”

(JJPan, 2017) In the 21st century, the practice of international competitions has become one of the most debated and controversial architectural issues in Taiwan (the official name remains the Republic of China, ROC for short). From 2004 to 2017, there have been thirty-two competitions for public buildings, including the Taipei Performing Arts Center (under construction since 2012) by OMA, the National Taichung Theater (2016) by Toyo Ito, the Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center (2018) for the Arts by Mecanoo, the Tainan Art Museum ​(2019) ​by Shigeru Ban, and the ​Taichung Intelligent Operations Center. However, according to Pan Ji, a well-known architect who practiced for fifty years and participated in more than thirty international competitions, only a few of these “masterpieces” which stood out from the crowd have sincerely faced the issues of cultural background and urban fabric on the corresponding site.1 Consequently, all the time-consuming and laborious effort made by the organizer only benefits the reputation and achievement of these “Star Architects”. In the absence of a comprehensive understanding of the true needs of the local culture and society, these experimental projects only focus on their own concepts and cannot integrate into the urban environment. For example, the ​Tainan Art Museum by Shigeru Ban, as a recent case that only opened in January 2019, has been widely questioned for the reason of being elected among other strong competitors.2 Some domestic architects argued that the proposal is just a copy-paste of Shigeru Ban’s own work, which failed to be chosen in the competition of the M+ museum in Hong Kong.3 After the election that attracted extensive attention of worldwide media, these awarded “Star Architects”, or the operating team, started to face various issues in the following stages of their projects, including administrative, political, financial and constructional difficulties.

According to the investigation report of The Control Yuan of Taiwan, from 2002 to 2018, there were thirty-seven competitions for public buildings in Taiwan. Four of their budgets (​Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum​, ​Taiwan Tower​, ​Taichung Green Museumbrary ​and Port of Kinmen Passenger Service Center​) had increased dramatically, exceeding government funds.4 One (​Centers for Disease Control and Prevention​) was rejected by the congress in the initial stage.5 Two (​Keelung New Seaport Building ​and ​New Taipei City New Skyrider​) were terminated due to the failure of acquiring the land.6 Thirteen (​Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center​, ​Danjiang Bridge​, ​Hakka Cultural Center​, ​The extension of Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center​, ​Kaohsiung Seaport Terminal​, ​Taipei Music Center​, ​New Taipei City Museum of Art​, ​National Taichung Theater​, ​Taichung Green Museumbrary​, ​Tainan Asia-Pacific International Baseball Stadiums and Training Centers​, ​Urban Axis Regeneration in Tainan​, Tainan Municipal Library and Kaohsiung Music Center​) were ceased due to the insufficiency 1

Pan, Ji. “Chain Effect of International Architectural Competitions—Mirage or Castle in the Sky?” Taiwan Architect Magazine No.508​ (2017): 82-87 2 Tsai, Wen Chu. “The first prize of the Tanian Art Museum is questioned for being similar to the failed project in Hong Kong.” Liberty Times Net, Sep 16, 2014.

3 Ibid.

4 ​ Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

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of funding in the following construction process.7 The four contractors of the project (​The extension of Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center​, ​Taipei Arts Center​, ​Taichung Gateway Park and ​National Taichung Theater​) encountered difficulties negotiating and cooperating between separated construction units. Three (​Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center​, Danjiang Bridge ​and Kaohsiung Public Library​) had adopted special construction methods.8 Under such circumstances, why does the government of Taiwan insist on holding international competitions whose goals are not clear, failing to meet the needs of our society and the pulses of local architecture? In addition, there have been a wide discussion of two new regulations conducted by the government of Taiwan, one forced foreign architects to cooperate with local architects to participate in international competitions in Taiwan.

Another rule restricts qualifications to foreign architects only, which means that local architects cannot participate in the contest at all.9 In order to discover the contextualized reason for this national phenomenon, this research documents the procedure of thirty-eight international competitions held by the government of Taiwan from 2002 to 2020. The process of conducting a competition can be divided into several stages, including the start of the competition (Colored ​black ​in Fig. 06 and 08), the initial design process (Colored ​beige​), the evaluation process (Colored ​orange​), the detailed design process (Colored coral​), the announcement of the tender offer (Colored ​gray​), the groundbreaking ceremony (Colored ​goldenrod​), the start of construction (Colored seagreen​), the construction process (Colored ​pale green​), law disputes (Colored ​sky blue​), the potential abandonment of project and demolishment (Colored ​red​), the completion of construction (Colored ​teal​) and in some cases, the renaming of the project (Colored ​brown​).

Placed in chronological order, the descriptive documentation and the analytical diagram (​Fig. 06​) of these competitions are presented in the first chapter. After that, based on the collected information, the second chapter compares the timeline of these competitions with national and regional political events, according to contemporary newspapers and governmental sources ​(​Fig. 08​).​ Through data research and analysis, this thesis explains how the progress of international competitions is influenced by political factors.

​Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

8 Chuang, Yi. “The application of international competition for domestic public construction should be examined conscientiously.” The Storm Media, Aug 4, 2018.

9 ​Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

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Chapter one

Documentation of International Competitions 1.1 The national initiative of international competitions before 2004

The very first international competition in Taiwan was held for the ​Taichung Guggenheim Museum ​(​Fig. 02-7​) ​in Feb 2002, as a starting point of art promotion for major cities in Taichung. Unfortunately, after being awarded to Zaha Hadid in Jan 2003, the whole project was completely canceled due to the lack of funds from the central government in June 2004.10 In 2003, the Tourist Double Plan, one of the ten grand investment plans of the “Challenging 2008: National Development Plan”, was conducted by the Executive Yuan of Taiwan.

According to ​The research of tourism planning in Taiwan11, ​the goal of this project was to double the number of tourists to 5 million before 2008, by creating four major themes: “the Northern Metropolis Scenery, the Central Humanities and Culture Scenery, the Southern Tropical Scenery, and the Eastern Wilderness Scenery." These proposals are supplemented by a set of tourism lines that are intertwined into a network, showing a brand new structure and possibilities for tourism in Taiwan. As a result, over the whole country from south to north, nine international competitions took place in 2003. Five of them were managed in March, including the ​Keelung Fuji Fishing Port ​(​Fig. 02-2​), which was awarded to Vincente Guallart Architecture and J.M.Lin Architect on Nov. 2003, then being constructed from Jan 2009 to Apr 2011; the ​Xiangshan Visitor Center ​(​Fig. 02-5​) that won by Norihiko Dan and Associates and Su Mao Pin Architect on Nov. 2003, was constructed from June 2008 to Feb. 2011; the Train Station of Alishan Forest Railways ​(​Fig. 02-4​)​, which was awarded to RUR Architecture (Reiser+Umemoto) on Nov. 2003, then being ceased due to the change of governmental policy on June 2006 (and was never continued); the ​Hengchun Tropical Botanic Garden ​(​Fig. 02-10​) was announced on Nov. 2003 without a winner; the ​Keelung Maritime Plaza ​(​Fig. 02-1​) that awarded again to Vincente Guallart Architecture and J.M.Lin Architect on Mar. 2004, was constructed from Jan. 2008 to July 2009.

The rest of them were held in August, including ​Kaohsiung Maritime Capital Center ​(​Fig. 02-8​)​, which was won by ​CHAO JIH and WANG CHIA HUNG on Mar. 2004, then being ceased due to the change of governmental policy on Mar. 2005 (and was never continued); the Kai-shek International Airport Terminal 1 ​(​Fig. 02-3​), which was awarded to ​Norihiko Dan and Associates and Hsu Tsung Hsi Architect on Mar. 2004. After that, the construction progress proceeded from Nov. 2009 to June 2013; the ​Tainan Anping Leisure Fishing port ​(​Fig. 02-9​)​, which was won by ​Original Design and ​CHEN YAO JU on Mar. 2004, then being constructed from Aug. 2005 to Dec. 2008; the last one, the ​921 Memorial Park ​(​Fig. 02-6​), which was awarded to CKPR on Feb. 2004, then being constructed from Nov. 2004 to June 2005.

However, this memorial project was demolished due to the continuous depletion of bamboo trees on Apr. 2007, right after the government change on Jan 200712.

Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

11 Taiwan. Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, Executive Yuan. ​The research of tourism planning in Taiwan.​ Taiwan: Chen, Chia Yu, 2010.

12 Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

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10 Figure 02: The table of the international competitions before 2004

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1.2 The regional development of international competitions from 2004 to 2008

After the experience of holding ten international competitions spread all over the nation, the central government found it difficult to maintain international standards while integrating its local context. (As the previous paragraph presented, three projects, including the ​Hengchun Tropical Botanic Garden ​(F​ ig. 02-10​), ​the ​Train Station of Alishan Forest Railways ​(​Fig. 02-4​) and ​the ​Kaohsiung Maritime Capital Center ​(​Fig. 02-8​)​, were terminated due to the lack of understanding local needs and industry in the initial planning phase. Another case, the ​921 Memorial Park ​(​Fig. 02-6​) ​in Nantou, was even dismantled after considering the failure of vegetation in the vernacular microclimate.13) Correspondingly, the central government changed its policy and authorized regional administrations to organize their own international competition according to local needs. With the substantial fund from the central government, there were eight international competitions held by the local authorities of the following regions: Kaohsiung, Chiayi, Miaoli, Hsinchu, Taichung, and Taipei.

Aiming to make Kaohsiung an international-level port city, Chen Ju, the Mayor of Kaohsiung City, developed consensus and cross-domain cooperation strategies, focusing on public construction in the district, adopting the international competition plans, and the concept of green building to make industry development integrated with the global community14.

Respectively, there were as many as four competitions managed by the municipality of Kaohsiung from 2004 to 2007. The first is the ​Kaohsiung National Stadium ​(​Fig. 03-7​), which started on Sep. 2005, was awarded to ​Toyo Ito and ​Takenaka Corporation and Ricky Liu & Associates Architects+Planners in Dec. 2005. After that, the construction progress of the project proceeded from Nov. 2006 to Jan. 2009. The second one is the ​Reconstruction of Kaohsiung Port No. 1-22 ​(​Fig. 03-8​) in June 2006, which was won by EDS and Juurlink & Geluk and Studio Sputnik in Dec. 2006. Unsuccessfully, the project was ceased due to the change of governmental policy in June 2008 and was never started again. The third one is the Kaohsiung City Dadong Arts Center ​(​Fig. 03-9​) in Aug. 2006, being awarded to CIE Architecten and MAYU Architects in Dec. 2006, then being constructed from Dec. 2008 to Mar. 2012. And last but not least, the international competition of the ​Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center ​(​Fig. 03-10​) was initiated in Sep. 2006, and was awarded to Mecanoo Architecten+Archasias Design Group in Mar. 2007. As the largest project among others in the same period, the construction progress took more than eight years to be completed, from Apr. 2010 to Oct. 2018.

In Jan. 2004, located in the south of Taiwan as well, the local government of Chiayi City prepared the international competition of ​the ​Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum ​(​Fig. 03-6​)​, which ​was first won by ​Antoine Predock ​in Nov. 2004. However, due to the law dispute and miscommunication between Antoine Predock and the organizer of the National Palace Museum, the project was forced to stop abruptly in Nov. 200815. Thenceforth, the operation team was substituted by KRIS YAO in Mar. 2011, and then the construction was carried out from Feb. 2013 to Dec. 2015.16

Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

14 Hsu, Cheng Yu. “All the international-level construction in Kaohsiung City.” Apple Daily, May 17, 2016.

15 Nojima, Tsuyoshi. ​Liang ge gu gong de li he : li shi fan nong xia liang an gu gong de ming yun.​ Taipei Shi : Lian jing chu ban shi ye gu fen you xian gong si, 2012.

16 Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

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In Mar. 2004, at the capital of Taiwan, the authority of Taipei City also initiated the international competition of the ​Taipei Twin Towers ​(​Fig. 03-1​), which was awarded to Fumihiko Maki and JJPan and Partners ​in July 2005. Unfortunately, the project was stopped six times due to the failure of the bidding process, in Dec. 2006, Dec. 2007, Dec. 2008, Aug. 2009, Aug. 2010 and Dec. 201817. After this time-consuming phase that took more than fourteen years, the project was finally re-assigned to MVRDV in Mar. 2018, due to the infeasibility of the previous proposal. As the most recent information reported by the ​United Daily News,​ the construction agreement was made between the Taipei city and the contractor, ​the Blue Sky construction unit, i​n Dec. 2019; in July 2008, another international competition was started for the ​Taipei Arts Center ​(​Fig. 03-2​)​, which was won by famous “Star Architects”, OMA and KRIS YAO in Jan. 2009. Then, ​the construction progress was forced to be shut down due to the bankruptcy of the construction unit, LI CHENG, in ​Nov. 201618. After that, it restarted with a new construction unit, SHUANG SI, in July 2017. The project is still under construction since Feb. 2012. Once planned to be completed before 2015, the project was then replanned for 2021.

However, due to the continuous suspension of construction, this public building is now unlikely to open on the planning date.19 Focussing on other cities, ​in Sep. 2005, ​the municipality of Taichung City held the international competition of ​the ​National Taichung Theater ​(​Fig. 03-5​)​, which was awarded to ​Toyo Ito and Da-Ju Architects & Associates three months later in Dec. 2005. With the extreme complication of structural issues due to the organic form designed by ​Toyo Ito, ​the construction progress took more than seven years, from Dec. 2009 to Dec. 2016. In Aug. 2007, the regional administration of Miaoli also prepared an international competition for the Hakka Cultural Center ​(​Fig. 03-4​), which was won by Takenaka Corporation and Ricky Liu & Associates Architects+Planners in Jan. 2008. Thenceforth, the construction process of this cultural project took place from Oct. 2008 to May 2012; on May 2008, ​the local authority of Hsinchu City managed the international competition for the ​Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ​(​Fig. 03-3​), which was awarded to CUH2A and Ricky Liu & Associates Architects+Planners in Mar. 2009. Unfortunately, after extensive discussions between the public and relevant experts on the necessity of this project, it was eventually canceled due to changes of government policies in Dec. 2010.

Lin, Yu Hsuan. “After five times of ​abortion of the bidding, the ​Taipei Twin Towers is now planned to open in 2027.” Up Media, Dec 17, 2019.

18 Nieh, Wei Ling. “The suspension of construction on Taipei Performing Arts Center due to the bankrupt of the construction unit.” Liberty Times Net, Nov 11, 2016.

19 Li, Shih Chen. “The construction of the Taipei Performing Arts Center seems impossible to complete in 2021.” Formosa TV News, Jan 9, 2019.

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Figure 03: The table of the international competitions from 2004 to 2008

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1.3 The start of the political commercialization of international competitions from 2009

After the period of experimentation from 2002 to 2008, completing a public building has become the most effective political achievement that every politician aspired to: every time a new public building opens, the affiliated politicians' satisfaction rate rises in polls. As a result, between 2009 and 2010, there were as many as six international competitions held in Taipei, Taichung ,and Kaohsiung, which are the three most prosperous cities representing the north, center ,and south of Taiwan.20 In Aug. 2009, only a half year after the announcement of the Taipei Arts Center ​(​Fig. 03-2​), ​the authority of Taipei organized another international competition for the ​Taipei Music Center ​(​Fig. 04-3​), which was won by RUR Architecture PC and Fei & Cheng Associates in Jan. 2010. After that, the whole construction was completed six years later in Dec. 2019.21 As for Kaohsiung city, where the most international competitions were held in comparison to other cities before 2008, the local authority continued to maintain the highest number of competitions during this period. These international competitions include: the ​Kaohsiung Music Center ​(​Fig. 04-6​), which was launched in Aug. 2010 and won by Manuel Alvarez-Monteserin Lahoz and Habitech Architects in Jan. 2011.22 Then, the construction progress of the music center was divided into two phases, from Mar. 2014 to Dec. 2017, and from June 2015, estimated to open in 2021, according to the ​Taiwan People News.23; the Kaohsiung Seaport Terminal ​(​Fig. 04-7​), which started in Aug. 2010 as well, being awarded to RUR Architecture PC and Fei & Cheng Associates again in Dec. 2010. Then, this infrastructural project is still under construction from Nov. 2013, ​arranged to be ​accomplished ​in Dec. 2020.

24 ; the ​Kaohsiung Public Library ​(F​ ig. 04-8​), which was held in Sep. 2010 and awarded to Takenaka Corporation and Ricky Liu & Associates Architects+Planners in Feb. 2011.

According to the report of the ​Taiwan Architect Magazine​, the construction progress of this public library proceeded from Oct. 2012 to Nov. 2014. 25 The ​Taichung Intelligent Operations Tower ​(​Fig. 04-4​) ​has undergone two rotations of the Taichung Mayor’s political parties in 2014 and 2018, it is a typical example of how an international competition is affected by Taiwanese political factors. ​The first competition of this tedious progress began in May. 2010, and was awarded to Stefan Dorin and CRACIUN MIHAI BOGDAN in Nov. 2010.26 Thenceforth, the second competition was managed in May. 2011, being won by Sou Fujimoto Architects and Fei & Cheng Associates in Nov. 2011.27 After that, the third competition started in June 2017 and was awarded to Christian de Portzamparc and Ricky Liu & Associates Architects+Planners in Nov. 2017. As the latest Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

21 Chung, Po Hsuan. “President Ma Ying Chiu attending the groundbreaking ceremony of Taipei Music Center.” My Go News, June 20, 2013.

22 Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

23 Chen, Chun Ting. “The Kaohsiung Music Center, a new project that combines the elements of ocean and music.” Taiwan People News, Oct 2, 2019.

24 Chu, Jheng Jie. “Arranged to be completed on Dec 2020, the Kaohsiung Seaport Terminal will be ready for the increasing number of tourist cruises.” TTN Taiwan News, Jan 5, 2020.

25 Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

26 Wang, Jyun Jie. “Taichung Intelligent Operations Center 智慧營運中心” http://tiocpc.idv.tw/jury.html (accessed February 12, 2020).

27 Taiwan. Taichung City Council. ​6th regular session of the Taichung City Council​. Taichung: Wang, Jyun Jie, 2017.

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information reported in the ​United Daily News​, this hybrid project was originally planned to be opened in 2022. Due to changes in the municipality’s policy, the entire process was ceased for more than six months.28 Another international competition held by the government of Taichung was the ​Taichung Gateway Park ​(​Fig. 04-5​), which was carried out in Nov. 2010 and awarded to Catherine Mosbach and Ricky Liu & Associates Architects+Planners in June 2011.

Thenceforth, the progress of construction went on from 2014 to 2018, indicating once more the slow pace of public constructions and the delayed work for the purposes of combining their completion with election periods.

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8 Figure 04: The table of the international competitions from 2009 to 2011

Chiu, Chih Pei. “The ​progress of Taichung Intelligent Operations Tower has now suspended again due to the change of policy by the municipality of Taichung.​” Public Television Service, Mar 8, 2019.

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1.4 International competitions after 2011

Without the experience of organizing an international competition, the authority of New Taipei City prepared its first for the ​New Taipei City Museum of Art ​(​Fig. 05-1​). The first competition was organized in May. 2011, being awarded to Peter Boronski and Jean-Loup Baldacci in Nov. 2011.29 Then, the second competition started in Sep. 2014, being awarded to KRIS YAO in Feb. 2015. In comparison, the following projects for New Taipei City didn’t go smoothly. In Mar. 2015, they started an international competition of the ​Danjiang Bridge ​(​Fig. 05-2​), which was won by Zaha Hadid and Sinotech Engineering six months later.30 However, the construction progress was suspended due to a newly-discovered heritage site under the ground in May 2019, just three months after the planned start of construction.31; in Feb. 2016, the local government launched an international competition for the ​New Taipei City New Skyrider ​(​Fig. 05-3​), which was almost immediately canceled due to the failure of acquiring the land in Mar. 2016.32 Being a city that hasn’t held a competition as well, the municipality of Kinmen Island launched their first competition for the ​Port of Kinmen Passenger Service Center ​(​Fig. 05-10​) in Oct. 2013. The project was awarded to Junya Ishigami and Bio-architecture Formosana in Apr. 2014, and the construction of it started in Nov. 2018. Unfortunately, as ​Liberty Times reported, ​the progress was unexpectedly interrupted due to the financial crisis in the construction sector in Oct. 2019.33 No further competition has been prepared since 2004, the authority of Keelung finally organized one for the ​Keelung New Seaport Building ​(​Fig. 04-2​) eight years later in May 2012. The project was won by Neil M. Denari Architects and Fei & Cheng Associates in Sep. 2012, but it was canceled due to the lack of funds from the central government in July 2017.

Without a competition since 2004 as well, the authority of Tainan organized as many as four competitions from 2012 to 2016. The first is the ​Urban Landscape of Tainan Train Station ​(​Fig. 04-5​) ​that started in Mar 2012. Since then, the competition was won by Michele & Miquel nine months later. However, after the wide discussion by the public and experts on the necessity of this project, the project was terminated due to the change of governmental policy in June 2015. The second competition is the ​Tainan Art Museum ​(​Fig. 05-7​), which was carried out in Mar 2014, being awarded to Shigeru Ban and Joe Shih Architects in Sep 2014.34 The construction progress continued from Dec. 2015 to Jan. 2019. The third competition is the Tainan Municipal Library ​(F​ ig. 05-8​), which started in Nov 2015, being awarded to Mecanoo Architecten and MAYU architects in Feb. 2016. As reported by ​China Times​, the project is still under construction from July 2017, when the groundbreaking ceremony was held.35 The latest project is the ​Urban Axis Regeneration in Tainan ​(​Fig. 05-9​). The project was launched in Apr 2015 and was won by The Urbanists Collaborative and MVRDV in Sep 2015. According to a Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

30 ​Chu, Ruei Ji. ​The record of international competition.​ Taiwan Architecture Magazine Vol.244, Jan 10, 2016.

31 Chou, Hsiang Yun. “The suspension of construction on the Danjiang Bridge due discover of the Post-war heritage under the ground.” Liberty Times Net, May 28, 2019.

32 Ho, Yu Hua. “The fund of New Taipei City New Skyrider was canceled due​ to the failure of acquiring the land.​” Liberty Times Net, May 4, 2016.

33 Wu, Cheng Ting. “The suspension of construction on the Port of Kinmen Passenger Service Center due to ​the financial crisis of the construction unit.​” Liberty Times Net, Oct 8, 2019.

34 ​Chu, Ruei Ji. ​The record of international competition.​ Taiwan Architecture Magazine Vol.244, Jan 10, 2016.

35 Cheng, Ping Chang. “The construction of the Tainan Municipal Library started today, planned to be completed on Sep 2019.” China Times, May 26, 2017.

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report from the ​Taiwan Architecture Magazine​, this urban-scale project is still under construction since Dec. 2019.36 Focussing on other cities, Taichung City conducted an international competition for the Taichung City Cultural Center ​(​Fig. 05-6​) in Sep. 2005. The contest was held in Mar. 2013, being awarded to SANNA and Ricky Liu & Associates Architects+Planners in Sep. 2013.

Thenceforth, the project is still under construction from Sep. 2019. For the authority of Taoyuan City, which hasn’t launched another competition since 2004, they organized two international competition, which is both still under construction. The first is the ​Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 3 ​(​Fig. 05-4​), which was carried out in June 2015, being awarded to Rogers Stirk Harbour and Arup and Fei & Cheng Associates in Oct. 2015.37 As the largest project among others in recent years, the construction progress started from May 26 and is expected to be completed before 2020.38 The second is the ​Taoyuan Museum of Fine Arts ​(​Fig. 05-5​), which was conducted in Dec. 2017, being awarded to Riken Yamamoto and Joe Shih Architects in Mar. 2018. After that, the project is still under construction from Jan. 2019 and is planned to be finished in 2022.39

​Chu, Ruei Ji. ​The record of international competition.​ Taiwan Architecture Magazine Vol.244, Jan 10, 2016.

37 Ibid.

38 Chu, Pei Hsiung. “The construction of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 3 started today, planned to be completed in 2020.” Liberty Times Net, May 26, 2017.

39 Li, Jung Ping. “The construction of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 3 started yesterday, planned to be completed in 2022.” Liberty Times Net, Nov 14, 2018.

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Figure 05: The table of the international competitions after 2011

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1.5 Analytical diagram of International Competitions in chronological order

Figure 06: The diagram of the international competitions in chronological order

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Chapter two

The influence of Political factor on International Competition in Taiwan 2.1 The political context dated back to 2003 in Taiwan

As the previous chapter presented, the whole development of international competitions in Taiwan can be divided into four phases. All of these processes began with the national initiative of the ​Double Plan, which was carried out by Lin Sheng Feng, a member of Executive Yuan of central government in 2003.40 In the Double Plan, none of the eight projects throughout Taiwan was successfully completed on the scheduled date. For example, going t​hrough a continuous process of design modifications, the final products of the ​Keelung Fuji Fishing Port ​(​Fig. 02-2​) and ​the ​Tainan Anping Leisure Fishing port ​(​Fig. 02-9​) were completely different from the initial proposal that won the competition. 41 Moreover, almost half of them were terminated, including ​the ​Train Station of Alishan Forest Railways (​Fig. 02-4​)​, ​the ​Hengchun Tropical Botanic Garden (​Fig. 02-10​) and the ​Kaohsiung Maritime Capital Center ​(​Fig. 02-8​)​, without a clear objective and sufficiently coordinated sets of measures. Yen Chang Shou, former director of Taiwan Visitors Association, believes that this policy has been criticized for lacking long-term valuation on the necessity of investing in these tourist-oriented infrastructures.42 However, this influential plan has still ​succeeded in certain areas, which is, politics.

On March 20, 2004, after all the winners of Double Plan had been announced, four months later, Taiwan held a presidential election. There was a fierce competition for the leadership of Taiwan’s government between Lien Chan and Sung Chu Yu, the candidates from the Kuomintang (KMT), and the incumbent president Chen Shui Bian and vice president Lu Hsiu Lien, the candidates from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). According to the document provided by Central Election Commission, the ballots that two candidates received were incredibly close, with less than a margin of 3,100 votes, or 0.227 percent, of the total votes.43 Without the political propaganda of Double Plan, President Chen Shui Bian may fail to success the reelection to a second four-year term until 2008.

Figure 07: The final result of the eleventh presidential election44

Chang, Shu. “Taiwan’s International Architectural Competitions.” ​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460​ (2013): 84-86 41 Ibid.

42 Lo, Chien Yi. “The double plan is a tourist-oriented project which only focuses on numbers.” United Daily News, June 5, 2004.

43 Yasuhiro, Matsuda​. "Taiwan’s Presidential Election in 2004: Its Impact on the PRC-Taiwan Relations" Ph.D. thesis. University of London, 2004. https://www.soas.ac.uk/taiwanstudies/eats/eats2004/file24406.pdf 44 ​Executive Yuan of Taiwan​. ​The final result of the eleventh presidential election.​ Taipei: ​Central Election Commission of Taiwan​, 2004. https://db.cec.gov.tw/histQuery.jsp?voteCode=20040301P1A1&qryType=ctks 40

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With vivid images of cities rendered by awarded teams ​(​Fig. 02​)​, releasing the result of Double Plan presented promising and brand new pictures for the citizens, which were, the potential voters for the election. These promotions of public constructions and civil infrastructures misled a considerable number of people to believe that the head of government indeed does something for the public interest. Despite the fact that all the projects were still under processing before the election in March 2004, and none of them were actually completed during Chen Shui Bian’s term of presidential service ​in the following four years (As Fig. 06 presented, the fastest one is the fishing port of Tainan Anping opened in Jan 2009.45), the Double Plan does make a positive contribution to the winning of the presidential election for Chen Shui Bian.46 Kuo Chiung Ying, director of Chinese Culture University, believes that international competition should be applied as an instrument, instead of the ultimate goal of politics.47 For the head of the government, instead of actually completing a public building, the action of holding an international competition is already a major purpose. In this climate, the organization of these international competitions does not have proper and thorough planning, nor does it look at the status of policies, professions and industries, and other social issues from a holistic perspective. Furthermore, the following processes can be interfered with by politicians as well. Taking the ​National Taichung Theater (Fig. 08-19) as an example, the government changed the planned timetable to force ​workers to speed up in the construction site with an unfavorable condition, only to accomplish the project before the election.48 Consequently, with poor construction quality, this international project was widely criticized for the water leakage from ceiling to floor two years later.49 Unfortunately, this case is only one of thirty-eight. Other timetables of different phases, such as the date of the opening ceremony, is also influenced by the political factors in a certain degree, which this thesis manages to investigate and research in the following section.

​Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

46 ​Executive Yuan of Taiwan​. ​The final result of the eleventh presidential election.​ Taipei: ​Central Election Commission of Taiwan​, 2004. https://db.cec.gov.tw/histQuery.jsp?voteCode=20040301P1A1&qryType=ctks 47 Kuo, Chiung Ying. “From Paper to Reality - a Journey of Try and Error.” ​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460​ (2013): 94-99 48 Cheng, Min Ling. “Workers are risking their lives for the politician, in order to accomplish before the election.” Apple Daily News, Nov 20, 2014.

49 Chen, Chiu Yun. “The National Taichung Theater was criticized for the water leakage from ceiling to floor by the public.” United Daily News, June 15, 2017.

45

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2.2 The relationship between Political events and different phases of international competitions

“The greatest risks for major architectural projects lay not in international competitions or architects who are not under control, but politicians and the authorities without consistent policies.”50 Stated by Jin Guang Yu, this statement explores a new perspective on the dilemma we faced in terms of the public infrastructure and construction in Taiwan. After 1996, the democracy of Taiwan had been stabilized with the policy of periodic election, for both central and local governments. For the last twenty years, Taiwan has been distinctly divided into two major political parties; one is the DPP (usually called green party), and the other is the KMT (usually called blue party).51 In this climate, between 1996 and 2017, the number of rotations between local government parties averaged 3.952. These competing and conflict between two opposite parties have made a huge impact on the process of administrative operations, especially for international competitions.

In order to comprehend the connection between the schedule of international competitions and political events, this section documents the international competitions organized by the government of Taiwan from 2004 to 2020 in regional order, with the relationship to the timeline of political developments, both national and municipal (Fig. 08). These research topics can be divided into three categories, which are the announcement or the initiation of competitions before elections, the constructionally starting or completing of competitions before elections, and the renaming of projects after party alternation. Based on contemporary newspapers and governmental sources, the relevant analysis are detailed in the following contents.

Jin, Guang Yu. “The Best and The Worst, Among Others.” ​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.508 (2017): 94-96 51 Yasuhiro, Matsuda​. "Taiwan’s Presidential Election in 2004: Its Impact on the PRC-Taiwan Relations" PhD thesis. University of London, 2004. https://www.soas.ac.uk/taiwanstudies/eats/eats2004/file24406.pdf 52 ​Executive Yuan of Taiwan​. ​The final result of the mayoral elections.​ Taipei: ​Central Election Commission of Taiwan​, 2017. https://db.cec.gov.tw/histQuery.jsp?voteCode=20040301P1A1&qryType=ctks 50

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2.2.1 The announcement or the initiation of competitions before elections

Generally, the international competition of a big project was started or announced before an official election. These stages are highlighted in ​black (indicating the start of the competition) and ​orange (indicating the announcement of the evaluation process) in Figure 08. Apart from the Double Plan mentioned in the previous chapter, there were eighteen cases sharing the same character all over the country. In northern Taiwan, the ​Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 3 (Fig. 08-4)was awarded in Oct. 201553, being three months before the presidential election organized on Jan. 2016. As for New Taipei City, the first competition for ​the ​New Taipei City Museum of Art ​(Fig. 08-11) ​was revealed in Nov. 2011, which was two months before ​the presidential election arranged in Jan. 2012. After that, the second competition for the same project was initiated on Sep. 2014, being two months before the mayoral election of New Taipei City in Nov. 2014.

Focussing on the middle of Taiwan, ​the ​Hakka Cultural Center (Fig. 08-17) in Miaoli was announced in Jan 2008, which was two months before ​the presidential election organized in Mar. 2008. ​With respect to Taichung City, there were three projects in the similar condition as well. The ​National Taichung Theater ​(Fig. 08-19), which started in Sep. 2005, was three months before the municipal election of ​Taichung City on Nov. 2005. Five years later, ​the ​Taichung Intelligent Operations Tower (Fig. 08-20) was revealed in Nov. 24, 2010, which was only three days before the municipal election of ​Taichung City​. During the same period, the competition of ​the ​Taichung Gateway Park​ ​(Fig. 08-21) ​was also launched in Nov. 2010​.

Moving onto southern Taiwan, ​the ​Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum ​(Fig. 08-24) ​in Chiayi was announced in Jan. 2004, which was two months before ​the presidential election managed on Mar. 2004. Considering Tainan City, ​the ​Tainan Art Museum ​(Fig. 08-36) was awarded in Sep. 2014, which was two months before the municipal election of ​Tainan City in Nov. 2014​. One year later, ​the ​Urban Axis Regeneration in Tainan (Fig. 08-37) was revealed in Sep. 2015, being four months before the presidential election held in Jan. 2016.

As for ​the ​Tainan Municipal Library ​(Fig. 08-35), the competition was carried out in Nov. 2015, being three months before the same national election. Finally, ​examining Kaohsiung, the fastest growing city in Taiwan as a transportation center, there were six cases which can be divided into two parts according to the timeline. The first three were related to the ​municipal election of ​Kaohsiung City in Nov. 2006: the ​Reconstruction of Kaohsiung Port No. 1-22 (Fig. 08-27) began in June 2006, ​the ​Kaohsiung City Dadong Arts Center ​(Fig. 08-28) ​conducted in Aug. 2006, and ​the ​Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center ​(Fig. 08-29) ​launched one month later. The rest are close to the next ​municipal election of ​Kaohsiung City four years later: the Kaohsiung Music Center (Fig. 08-30) and ​the ​Kaohsiung Seaport Terminal ​(Fig. 08-331) started in Aug. 2010 and ​the ​Kaohsiung Public Library ​(Fig. 08-32) took place one month later.

As presented in Figure 08, over the whole period from 2003 to 2020, there were twenty-six cases, or 0.684 percent, of the total numbers, which were started or announced within six months before a national or municipal election.

​Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

53

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2.2.2 The constructionally starting or completing of competitions before elections

Highlighted in ​goldenrod (indicating the groundbreaking ceremony), ​seagreen (indicating the start of construction), and ​teal (indicating the completion of construction) in figure 08, the construction of international competition was often initiated or finished before the formal elections. Throughout history, there have been twenty cases with the same characteristic in the whole nation. First, starting in northern Taiwan, ​the groundbreaking ceremony of the Keelung Maritime Plaza ​(Fig. 08-2), as a crucial investment conducted in the Double Plan, was managed on Dec. 18, 2007, being ​three months before ​the presidential election started in Mar. 2008.54 ​Considering Taoyuan City, according to the Community Publications by Chen Ta Peng, the groundbreaking ceremony of ​the ​Taoyuan Museum of Fine Arts ​(Fig. 08-5) was hosted on Nov. 13, 2018, which was only eleven days before the municipal election of Taoyuan City​.55 As a result, Cheng Wen Tsan, the former mayor who initiated the ceremony, had succeeded in continuing his terms for the next four years.56 Examining New Taipei City, the organizer of the ​New Taipei City Museum of Art ​(Fig. 08-11) held a grand groundbreaking ceremony in Dec. 2015, which had been seen as a political achievement for the next election only twenty days later.57 As for central Taiwan, the ​921 Memorial Park ​(Fig. 08-16) constructed from Nov. 2004 to June 200558, which was ​three months before ​the municipal election of Miaoli City in Dec. 2005.

Moving onto Taichung City, there were four cases from 2009 to 2019: The start and the end of the construction for ​National Taichung Theater ​(Fig. 08-19)​, which was ​from Dec. 2009 to Dec. 2016; the completion of the ​Taichung Gateway Park ​(Fig. 08-21) ​in Sep. 2018 before the mayoral election of Taichung City; the opening ceremony of ​Taichung Green Museumbrary (Fig. 08-22) in Sep. 2019 before the presidential election. Considering southern Taiwan, apart from the ​Tainan Anping Leisure Fishing port ​(Fig. 08-33) ​started in ​Aug. 2005 before the municipal election of Tainan City​, ​there were three cases occurring in Kaohsiung City: The constructional initiation of ​Kaohsiung National Stadium ​(Fig. 08-26) ​on Nov. 2006, which was one month before ​the mayoral election; the accomplishment of ​Kaohsiung Public Library (Fig. 08-32) in Nov. 2014 before the municipal election in Dec.; the completion of ​Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center ​(Fig. 08-29) in Oct. 2018 before the next reelection.

Focussing on the national election of the president which won by the KMT party in Jan. 2012, there were three cases in a similar situation. First of all, according to the report of the N ​ CU Hakka College,​ ​the construction of ​the ​Hakka Cultural Center ​(Fig. 08-17) in Miaoli County was accomplished on Jan. 3, 2012, when a beam raising ceremony hosted by mayor Liu Cheng Hung from KMT.59 Secondly, ​the ​Kaohsiung City Dadong Arts Center (Fig. 08-28) was initially planned to open in Oct. 2011, which was three months before the presidential election. (However, due to the increased requirement of fire protection on architectural 54

Chou, Mei Ching. “The construction of the Keelung Maritime Plaza started today, aiming to make Keelung an international port city.” The Epoch Times Association, Dec 19, 2017.

55 Chen, Ta Peng. “The construction of the Taoyuan Museum of Fine Arts started yesterday, for phase one.” Community Publications Fellowship Club of Republic of China, Nov 14, 2018.

56 ​Executive Yuan of Taiwan​. ​The final result of the mayoral election in 2018​. Taipei: ​Central Election Commission of Taiwan​, 2018. https://db.cec.gov.tw/histQuery.jsp?voteCode=20181101A1B1&qryType=ctks 57 Huang, Hsu Sheng. “The ​construction of the New Taipei City Museum of Art starts today, aiming to be a new landmark in the city.​” Central News Agency, Dec 4, 2018.

58 ​Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

59 Huang, Yu Chen. “The ​beam raising ceremony of the Hakka Cultural Center was managed by mayor Liu Cheng Hung today, aiming to open within six months in Miaoli County.​” NCU Hakka College E-paper, Jan 3, 2012.

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material, the opening ceremony of this performing center was postponed until Mar. 2012.60) The last one was the groundbreaking ceremony of ​the ​Taipei Arts Center ​(Fig. 08-9) ​held in Dec. 2011, which was attended by KMT’s incumbent president, Ma Ying Chiu, who won the reelection for the next​ four-year term until 2016.61 Before the DPP won the next presidential election in Jan. 2016, there were three similar cases.

The first is the ​Tainan Art Museum ​(Fig. 08-36)​. In Dec 2015, only two months before the election, the organizer held a grand groundbreaking ceremony.62 In the same year, the second phase of the construction of the ​Kaohsiung Music Center (Fig. 08-30) ​started in June.

The third is the ​Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum ​(Fig. 08-24)​, which is a very representative example. It was completed and opened on 28 Dec. 2015. This project was launched by Chen Shui Pien, the president of the DPP party in Mar. 2004, while it was afterward completed by Ma Ying Chiu, the president from the KMT party eleven years later.

The grand opening ceremony organized by the latter was widely criticized as a political achievement for the next election only one month later In Jan. 2016.63 Reported by ​Liberty Times, several crucial politicians did not have a chance to participate in the event at all, and they played important roles in accomplishing this national museum. These figures include Chen Shui Pien, the former president, Chen Ming Wen, the former mayor of Chiayi City, Chou Kung Hsin, the former director of the National Palace Museum.64 According to Hsieh Chin Ho, a political commentator hosting several talks shows from 2000, this deliberate act of negligence by the KMT party was done deliberately, trying to take credit for the former contribution by the DPP party.65 As shown in Figure 08, over the whole period from 2003 to 2020, there were twenty cases, or 0.714 percent, of the total numbers of conducted projects, which were started or completed within six months before a national or municipal election.

60

Fang, Chih Hsien. “The opening ceremony of the Kaohsiung City Dadong Arts Center was held by Chen Chu.” Liberty Times Net, Mar 24, 2012.

61 Fu, Wen Ting. “President Ma Ying Chiu attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Taipei Arts Center.” The Epoch Times Association, Jan 17, 2012.

62 Chen, Chun Ting. “The construction of the Tainan Art Museum started today, aiming to create a greener future and platform for contemporary art.” Taiwan People News, Dec 18, 2015.

63 Chen, Shui Pien. “President Chen Shui Pien attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum.” Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan), Nov 19, 2005.

64 Tsai, Tsung Hsun. “The opening ceremony of the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum was held by Ma Ying Chiu.” Liberty Times Net, Dec 29, 2015.

65 Ibid.

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2.2.3 The renaming of projects after party alternations

As international competitions being considered as political advertiseable materials by the head of government, the names of corresponding projects, therefore, become exceptionally important. Amongst twenty-eight international competitions hold by local authorities, there were four projects undergoing the renaming processes, which are highlighted in ​brown in figure 08, due to the alternation of the party. These situations regularly resulted in the procrastination of progress, including the redesign of comprehensive planning, the rejection of administrative contracts, the reduction of the construction budget and even the redo of environmental evaluations. As the figure presented, this situation had been occurred in both northern and central Taiwan. For example, Taipei City and Taichung City. The former is the capital and a well-known political and economic center. The latter is the third most prosperous city in Taiwan, and it has experienced three times of party changes in only one decade.

Considering Taichung City, which faced changes of the party in three consecutively elections in 2010, 2014 and 2018, there were two cases with a similar condition. To begin with, the ​Taichung City Cultural Center (Fig. 08-22) ​organized by Hu Chih Chiang (from KMT), the name of the project was changed from “​Taichung City Cultural Center​” to “​Taichung Green Museumbrary​”, after the inauguration ceremony of Lin Chia Lung​(from DPP) In Aug. 2018.66 The second one is the ​Taiwan Tower ​(Fig. 08-20) ​organized by Hu Chih Chiang (from KMT) as well. It is the most representative example which underwent two times of renaming due to the ​party alternation in 2014 and 2018. The name of the project was changed from “​Taiwan Tower” to “​Taichung Intelligence Operations Center” by Lin Chia Lung​(from DPP) ​In Feb. 2015.

67 After that, it was changed again from “​Taichung Intelligence Operations Center” to “​Taichung Intelligent Operations Tower”​, after Lu Hsiu Yen (from KMT) won the election in Oct. 2019.68 Moving onto Taipei City, there were two cases as well. One of them is the ​Taipei Arts Center (Fig. 08-9), which was initiated ​In ​July 2008 by ​Hao Lung Pin (from KMT), as the former mayor of Taipei City. Six years later, after Ko Wen Che won the election in Dec. 2014, he immediately changed the name of the project from ​“​Taipei Arts Center​” to “​Taipei Performing Arts Center​”, without stating any reason.69 ​As for the ​Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 1 ​(Fig. 08-4)​, which used to call “​Kai-shek International Airport Terminal 1​”.

The original title was named in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, who founded the party of KMT and being an autocratic ruler for more than thirty decades. in Sep. 2006, the president Chen Shui Bian from the rival party finally changed the name successfully, against the opposition from KMT's committees in the Legislative Yuan. According to the ​Civil Aeronautics Administration,​ the renaming of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport had cost almost twenty-six millions Taiwan dollars, for the renewing of the signs and relating facilities70. This case also demonstrates the waste of time and money that resulted from the political factors.

66

Yu, Wen Wen. “The name of the focused project was changed from Taichung City Cultural Center to Taichung Green Museumbrary” United Daily News, Aug 19, 2016.

67 Wang, Po Jen. “The Taichung Intelligence Operations Center by Lin Chia Lung vs. The Taiwan Tower by Hu Chih Chiang.” Taiwan People News, Jan 21, 2016.

68 Chen, Chiu Yun. “According to, Lu Hsiu Yen, the new mayor of Taichung, the name of the promising project was changed from Taichung Intelligence Operations Center to Taichung Intelligent Operations Tower.” United Daily News, Oct 15, 2019.

69 Li, Fu Hsuan. “Is Ko Wen Che, the mayor of Taipei City, becoming a political performer?” The Storm Media, May 17, 2018.

70 Chang, Chih Yuan. “The renaming of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport have cost almost twenty-six millions Taiwan dollars.” United Daily News, Dec 8, 2017.

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2.3 Analytical diagram of Taiwan’s International Competitions sorted by different regions

Figure 08: The diagram of the international competitions sorted by different regions

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Conclusion

The purpose and dilemma of international competitions in Taiwan By documenting and comparing the data based on contemporary newspapers, governmental sources and individual publications, the relation between international competitions and political events can be clearly seen and compared in the analytical diagram (Fig. 08). These tables, statistics, and diagrams present a reasonable and scientifically-founded doubt that politic is a main factor causing inefficient processes in public constructions, which were proceed in the form of international competitions, particularly.

For the head of the government, instead of actually completing a public building, the action of holding an international competition is already effective for their goal. From the announcement, the selection and even the start of construction, all these events are municipally advertiseable materials, which would be spread widely and repeatedly by all media on both traditional newspapers and the internet. This means that, before these public constructions are actually completed, the politicians behind the stage have already benefited from all the time-consuming processes continually.71 But there is a cost. When most of the international competitions are held in this situation, the following problems occur: (1) To begin with, the organizers have a tendency to search for “Star Architects”, who have a global reputation and are capable of maximizing the effectiveness of political propaganda both nationally and internationally. 72 (2) Second, the topicality and uniqueness (usually in reference to its form and appearance) of the proposal are taken into account during the evaluation process by committees, rather than the feasibility of construction both financially and technically. 73 (3) Therefore, since it is difficult to complete ​complicated structures without sufficient budget and corresponding technology, the bidding process of the construction unit fails continuously, or even terminates. 74 (4) In addition, the schedule of different phases is influenced by the political factor to a certain degree, causing even the unreasonable accelerations or cumbersome delays for the construction process.

(5) Last but not least, due to the democratic system in Taiwan, there are two main parties (KMT and DPP) confronting each other, boycotting (or even canceling) the opponent’s proposal and decreasing their budget. This political phenomenon does lead to the squander of public funds, the labor force, and the possibility of improving the built environment in a country.

Chang, Shui. “Taiwan’s International Architectural Competitions.” ​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460​ (2013): 84-86 72 Hsu, Pei Jin. “The Role of Local Architects.” ​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.508​ (2017): 74-81 73 Jin, Guang Yu. “The Best and The Worst, Among Others.” Taiwan Architect Magazine No.508 (2017): 94-96 74 Lin, Chia Ju. “A Century Egg in the Night Market.” ​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.508​ (2017): 68-73 71

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Annotated Photography Figure 01, Benedict Ray Balondo, ​Taipei Performing Arts Center​. 2016. OMA, Taipei City. https://oma.eu​.

Figure 02, 02-1: Vincente Guallart Architecture, ​Keelung Maritime Plaza.​ 2009. Forgemind ArchiMedia, Keelung City. ​https://forgemind.net​.

02-2: Vincente Guallart Architecture, ​Fuji Fishing Port.​ 2013. Pixnet, Keelung City. https://oliveryeh2011.pixnet.net.

02-3: Norihiko Dan and Associates, ​Kai-shek International Airport Terminal 1​. 2004.

Forgemind ArchiMedia, Tauyaun County. ​https://forgemind.net​.

02-4: Reiser + Umemoto​, ​Alishan Tourist Routes​. 2004. New Taiwan by Design, Nantou County. ​http://whclive.blogspot.com​.

02-5: Tsaiher Cheng, Yuni Kim, Yoonjin Park, Eve Barbara Robidou, ​921 Memorial Park.​ 2004. boundaryunlimited, Nantou County. https://boundaryunlimitedtw.wordpress.com​.

02-6: Norihiko Dan and Associates​, ​Xiangshan Visitor Center.​ 2013. Sun Moon Lake, Nantou County. ​https://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw​.

02-7: Zaha Hadid, ​Guggenheim Museum.​ 2003. Forgemind ArchiMedia, Taichung City. https://forgemind.net​.

02-9: Original Design, ​Anping Leisure Fishing port​. 2004. Forgemind ArchiMedia, Tainan City. ​https://forgemind.net​.

Reiser + Umemoto​, ​Taichung Tower.​ 2004. New Taiwan by Design, Nantou County. http://whclive.blogspot.co​m.

Figure 03, 03-1: MVRDV, ​Taipei Twin Towers.​ 2018. MVRDV, Taipei City. ​https://www.mvrdv.nl​.

03-2: Benedict Ray Balondo, ​Taipei Performing Arts Center​. 2016. OMA, Taipei City. https://oma.eu​.

03-3: Ricky Liu & Associates Architects + Planners, ​Taiwan Centers for Disease Control Complex International Competition​. 2009. Forgemind ArchiMedia, Hsinchu City. https://forgemind.net​.

03-4: Ricky Liu & Associates Architects + Planners, ​Hakka Cultural Center​. 2013. Ricky Liu & Associates Architects + Planners, Miaoli County. ​http://www.rickyliu.com.tw​.

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03-5: National Taichung Theater, ​Bird view of National Taichung Theater.​ 2017.

National Taichung Theater, Taichung City. ​https://www.npac-ntt.org​.

03-6: Kris Yao, ​Rendering https://forgemind.net​.

02​.

2015.

Forgemind

03-7: Takenaka Corporation, ​First Prize—Spiral​.

Kaohsiung City. ​https://forgemind.net​.

ArchiMedia,

Chiayi

City.

2005. Forgemind ArchiMedia,

03-8: Studio Sputnik, ​Reconstruction of Kaohsiung Port No. 1-22.​ 2006. Forgemind ArchiMedia, Kaohsiung City. ​https://forgemind.net​.

03-9: CIE Architecten, ​Kaohsiung City Dadong Arts Center. 2006. Forgemind ArchiMedia, Kaohsiung City. ​https://forgemind.net​.

03-10: Mecanoo Architecten, ​National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts. 2008. Mecanoo, Kaohsiung City. ​https://www.mecanoo.nl​.

Figure 04, 04-1: RUR Architecture, ​TAIPEI POP MUSIC CENTER. 2010. RUR Architecture, Taipei City. http://www.reiser-umemoto.com​.

04-2: Neil M. Denari Architects, ​Keelung Harbor Service Building. 2015. Archdaily, Keelung City. ​https://www.archdaily.com​.

04-3: Elizabeth de Portzamparc Architecte, ​Taichung Intelligence Operations Center.

2017. Archdaily, Taichung City. ​https://www.archdaily.com​.

04-4: Catherine Mosbach, ​Taichung Gateway Park International Competition. 2010.

Forgemind ArchiMedia, Taichung City. ​https://forgemind.net​.

04-5: Michele & Miquel, ​CONCOURS INTERNATIONAL - LAUREATS. 2012. Michele & Miquel, Tainan City. ​http://www.michele-miquel.com​.

04-6: Manuel Alvarez Monteserin Lahoz, ​Kaohsiung Maritime Cultural & Popular Music Center International Competition. 2010. Forgemind ArchiMedia, Kaohsiung City. https://forgemind.net​.

04-7: RUR Architecture, ​KAOHSIUNG PORT AND CRUISE SERVICE CENTER. 2010. RUR Architecture, Kaohsiung City. ​http://www.reiser-umemoto.com​.

04-8: Ricky Liu & Associates Architects + Planners, ​Kaohsiung Public Library. 2010. Ricky Liu & Associates Architects + Planners, Kaohsiung City. ​http://www.rickyliu.com.tw​.

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Figure 05, 05-1: KRIS YAO, ​New Taipei City Museum of Art. 2010. KRIS YAO, New Taipei City. https://www.krisyaoartech.com​.

05-2: Zaha Hadid, ​Danjiang https://www.zaha-hadid.com​.

Bridge.

2015.

Zaha

Hadid,

New

Taipei

City.

05-4: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, ​Taoyuan Airport T3. 2015. Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Taoyuan City. ​https://www.rsh-p.com​.

05-5: Riken Yamamoto, ​Taoyuan Museum of Art. 2018. Riken Yamamoto, Taoyuan City. ​http://www.riken-yamamoto.co.jp​.

05-6: SANAA, ​Taichung City Cultural Center. 2013. Forgemind ArchiMedia, Taichung City. http://www.sanaa.co.jp.

05-7: Shigeru Ban Architects, ​Tainan Art Museum. 2019. Shigeru Ban Architects, Tainan City. http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com.

05-8: Mecanoo Architecten, ​Tainan Public Library. 2015. Mecanoo, Tainan City. https://www.mecanoo.nl​.

05-9: MVRDV, ​Tainan Spring.​ 2018. MVRDV, Tainan City. ​https://www.mvrdv.nl​.

05-10: Junya Ishigami + Associates, ​Port of Kinmen Passenger Service Center. 2013.

Forgemind ArchiMedia, Kinmen County. ​https://forgemind.net​.

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Annotated Bibliography Pan, Ji. “Chain Effect of International Architectural Competitions—Mirage or Castle in the Sky?” ​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.508​ (2017): 82-87 Chang, Shu. “Taiwan’s International Architectural Competitions.” ​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460​ (2013): 84-86 Kuo, Chiung Ying. “From Paper to Reality - a Journey of Try and Error.” ​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460​ (2013): 94-99 Yasuhiro, Matsuda​. "Taiwan’s Presidential Election in 2004: Its Impact on the PRC-Taiwan Relations" Ph.D. thesis. University of London, 2004.

Pan, Ji. “Taiwan’s International Architectural Competitions.”

No.460​ (2013): 84-86

Taiwan Architect Magazine

Tsai, Wen Chu. “The first prize of the Tanian Art Museum is questioned for being similar to the failed project in Hong Kong.” Liberty Times Net, Sep 16, 2014.

Chuang, Yi. “The application of international competition for domestic public construction should be examined conscientiously.” The Storm Media, Aug 4, 2018.

Taiwan. Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, Executive Yuan. ​The research of tourism planning in Taiwan​. Taiwan: Chen, Chia Yu, 2010.

Hsu, Cheng Yu. “All the international-level construction in Kaohsiung City.” Apple Daily, May 17, 2016.

Chen, Shui Pien. “President Chen Shui Pien attending the groundbreaking ceremony of Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum.” Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan), Nov 19, 2005.

Nojima, Tsuyoshi. ​Liang ge gu gong de li he : li shi fan nong xia liang an gu gong de ming yun.​ Taipei Shi : Lian jing chu ban shi ye gu fen you xian gong si, 2012.

Lin, Yu Hsuan. “After five times of ​abortion of the bidding, the ​Taipei Twin Towers is now planned to open in 2027.” Up Media, Dec 17, 2019.

Yang, Wan Chi. “The contractor of the Taipei Twin Towers was substituted by the Blue Sky construction unit.” United Daily News, Oct 18, 2019.

Li, Fu Hsuan. “Is Ko Wen Che, the mayor of Taipei City, becoming a political performer?” The Storm Media, May 17, 2018.

Nieh, Wei Ling. “The suspension of construction on the Taipei Performing Arts Center due to the bankrupt of the construction unit.” Liberty Times Net, Nov 11, 2016.

Li, Shih Chen. “The construction of the Taipei Performing Arts Center seems impossible to complete in 2021.” Formosa TV News, Jan 9, 2019.

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Chung, Po Hsuan. “President Ma Ying Chiu attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Taipei Music Center.” My Go News, June 20, 2013.

Chen, Chun Ting. “The Kaohsiung Music Center, a new project that combines the elements of ocean and music.” Taiwan People News, Oct 2, 2019.

Chu, Jheng Jie. “Arranged to be completed on Dec 202, the Kaohsiung Seaport Terminal will be ready for the increasing number of tourist cruises.” TTN Taiwan News, Jan 5, 2020.

Chen, Wan Chien. “The unequal regulation of international competition aroused anger among local architects.” United Daily News, July 17, 2017.

Lin, Jhih Song. ​Retrospect the Ten Years of International Architectural Competitions.​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.460, Apr 26, 2013.

Chu, Ruei Ji. ​The record of international competition​. Taiwan Architecture Magazine Vol.244, Jan 10, 2016.

Wang, Jyun Jie. “Taichung Intelligent Operations Center 智慧營運中心” http://tiocpc.idv.tw/jury.html (accessed February 12, 2020).

Taiwan. Taichung City Council. ​6th regular session of the Taichung City Council​. Taichung: Wang, Jyun Jie, 2017.

Chen, Chiu Yun. “According to, Lu Hsiu Yen, the new mayor of Taichung, the name of the promising project was changed from Taichung Intelligence Operations Center to Taichung Intelligent Operations Tower.” United Daily News, Oct 15, 2019.

Chiu, Chih Pei. “The ​progress of the Taichung Intelligent Operations Tower was now suspended again due to the change of policy by the municipality of Taichung.​” Public Television Service, Mar 8, 2019.

Huang, Hsu Sheng. “The ​construction of the New Taipei City Museum of Art starts today, aiming to be a new landmark in the city.​” Central News Agency, Dec 4, 2018.

Chou, Hsiang Yun. “The suspension of construction on the Danjiang Bridge due to the discovery of the Post-war heritage under the ground.” Liberty Times Net, May 28, 2019.

Ho, Yu Hua. “The fund of the New Taipei City New Skyrider was canceled due to the failure of acquiring the land.​” Liberty Times Net, May 4, 2016.

Wu, Cheng Ting. “The suspension of construction on the Port of Kinmen Passenger Service Center due to ​the financial crisis of the construction unit.​” Liberty Times Net, Oct 8, 2019.

Chen, Chun Ting. “The construction of the Tainan Art Museum started today, aiming to create a greener future and platform for contemporary art.” Taiwan People News, Dec 18, 2015.

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Cheng, Ping Chang. “The construction of the Tainan Municipal Library started today, planned to be completed on Sep 2019.” China Times, May 26, 2017.

Yu, Wen Wen. “The name of the focused project was changed from Taichung City Cultural Center to Taichung Green Museumbrary” United Daily News, Aug 19, 2016.

Chu, Pei Hsiung. “The construction of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 3 started today, planned to be ​accomplished​ in 2020.” Liberty Times Net, May 26, 2017.

Li, Jung Ping. “The construction of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 3 started yesterday, planned to be completed in 2022.” Liberty Times Net, Nov 14, 2018.

Lo, Chien Yi. “The double plan is a tourist-oriented project which only focus on numbers.”

United Daily News, June 5, 2004.

Lin, Chia Ju. “A Century Egg in the Night Market.” Taiwan Architect Magazine No.508 (2017): 68-73 Chen, Ta Peng. “The construction of the Taoyuan Museum of Fine Arts started yesterday, for phase one.” Community Publications Fellowship Club of Republic of China, Nov 14, 2018.

Chou, Mei Ching. “The construction of the Keelung Maritime Plaza started today, aiming to make Keelung an international port city.” The Epoch Times Association, Dec 19, 2017.

Huang, Yu Chen. “The ​beam raising ceremony of the Hakka Cultural Center was managed by mayor Liu Cheng Hung today, aiming to open within six months in Miaoli County.​” NCU Hakka College E-paper, Jan 3, 2012.

Fang, Chih Hsien. “The opening ceremony of the Kaohsiung City Dadong Arts Center was held by Chen Chu.” Liberty Times Net, Mar 24, 2012.

Fu, Wen Ting. “President Ma Ying Chiu attending the groundbreaking ceremony of Taipei Arts Center.” The Epoch Times Association, Jan 17, 2012.

Tsai, Tsung Hsun. “The opening ceremony of the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum was held by Ma Ying Chiu.” Liberty Times Net, Dec 29, 2015.

Cheng, Min Ling. “Workers are risking their lives for the politician, in order to accomplish before the election.” Apple Daily News, Nov 20, 2014.

Chen, Chiu Yun. “The National Taichung Theater was criticized for the water leakage from ceiling to floor by the public.” United Daily News, June 15, 2017.

Chang, Chih Yuan. “The renaming of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport had cost almost twenty-isix millions Taiwan dollars.” United Daily News, Dec 8, 2017.

Wang, Po Jen. “The Taichung Intelligence Operations Center by Lin Chia Lung vs. The Taiwan Tower by Hu Chih Chiang.” Taiwan People News, Jan 21, 2016.

Lin, Chia Ju. “A Century Egg in the Night Market.” Taiwan Architect Magazine No.508 (2017): 68-73

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Hsu, Pei Jin. “The Role of Local Architects.” ​ Taiwan Architect Magazine No.508​ (2017): 74-81 Jin, Guang Yu. “The Best and The Worst, Among Others.” Taiwan Architect Magazine No.508 (2017): 94-96 Executive Yuan of Taiwan. ​The final result of the eleventh presidential election.​ Taipei: ​Central Election Commission of Taiwan​, 2004. https://db.cec.gov.tw/histQuery.jsp?voteCode=20040301P1A1&qryType=ctks

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