Kris Yao and his buildings
In an illustrious career spanning over three decades, leading Taiwanese architect Kris Yao (姚仁喜) has completed architectural projects for a wide variety of objectives with his firm Kris Yao Artect. A keen museum-goer since his youth, Yao is especially passionate about cultural and art-related projects.
Some of his significant cultural infrastructure projects in Taiwan include the South Branch of the National Palace Museum (故宮南院) in Chiayi, Lanyang Museum (蘭陽博物館) in Yilan, and the Xiqu Center of Taiwan (台灣戲曲中心) in Taipei.
Lanyang Museum
Completed in 2010, the Lanyang Museum is a great example in the harmonious integration of architecture and natural landscape. Based in Yilan's coastal region, the museum takes advantage of the cuesta rock formation and the surrounding wetlands to showcase the county's vibrant culture and ecological diversity.
The museum, which consists of large glass panels and solid surfaces that are covered by granite on the exterior, is almost wholly surrounded by the wetlands. The design reflects Yao's idea of turning the museum itself into a piece of public art that would string together the local history, culture, and landscape. He received the International Architecture Awards for this design in 2012 … (read more)
NPM Southern Branch
The National Palace Museum Southern Branch is a contemporary architectural masterpiece that stands amidst the Jianan Plain in Chaiyi County. From afar, the museum resembles a smooth, smearing stroke of Chinese calligraphy. The architect explained that it represents how the three ancient civilizations of the East - Chinese, Indian, and Persian - are intertwined.
The museum contains a rich collection of Asian artifacts and boasts a landscape design that take inspiration from the prehistoric and indigenous cultures that once ruled the Jianan Plain. The 70-hectare facility embodies culture ambience from its exterior to its interior, and expresses Yao's respect for the local cultural context … (read more)
Xiqu Center of Taiwan
The Xiqu Center of Taiwan is the first venue established on the island for traditional Chinese performance arts. As a Chinese opera fan, Yao took inspiration from the standard stage design for Peking opera, which is known as "one table, two chairs (一桌二椅).”
The center consists of two separate buildings (two chairs) for performance and office space, and a space (one table) that is constructed to connect the two buildings for audiences and performers to interact.
Yao also consulted with the GuoGuang Opera Company and prominent Peking opera actress Gu Cheng-chiu (顧正秋) to understand key elements of the traditional performance art.
Scheduled for grand opening in autumn 2017, the Xiqu Center of Taiwan will soon become a new cultural landmark in Taipei … (read more)