The homogeneous urban fabric contributes to the crowdedness of Taipei city, where it is difficult to find large buildings: narrow streets and small lots shape the urban fabric. Most of Taipei City‘s historical sites and cultural structures are located in the western part of the city, forming several north-south cultural axes. Recently, old industrial buildings scattered along the railways have been converted into cultural facilities, creating a new east-west cultural axis. The design for Hope Square exhibits a strong iconic and recognizable geometric form, inspired by the necessity to protect and enhance the presence of a non-disruptable line of trees. A fully glazed volume in essence appears to have a homogeneous and continuous surface, is enhanced further with the retreat of the structure and the stringcourse. The pre-existing tree line has been safeguarded and enhanced by excavating the center of building for the entirety of its height. This solution is amplified and made evident even along all the elevations visible from the main roads of the area, through terraces that excavate the volume and bring light to mid-sized trees planted in hanging gardens. This concept finds its conclusion in the large roof garden, which can be visited on the top floor. The subtraction of volumes, to create different exedras at different heights was also used to shape the 3 plant floors on the roof, which draw a different skyline from any point you look at this building. Taipei‘s buildings have a unique characteristic: the existence of different spheres between the ground and upper floors. In fact, the project encompasses different functions where the lower floors and the basement are home to retail activities, while above, are arranged offices for 5 floors and a penthouse. Aiming to give slenderness to the building as whole while also providing protection to the visitors of the garden, the crowning of the facade at the roof is decorated by a brisesoleil, which also functions as a protective screen for the view of the plants. Made from a sparse stave of square section tubes, it is arranged along all the facades of the building by means of a white silk-screen printing, in bands of different widths, creating a play of light refraction throughout the building. The use of soft and sinuous lines, contrasted with the hardness and regularity of the facade create a unique contrast: a large building while simultaneously light and bright, a shimmering and elusive geometry that creates a fascinating optical illusion.
