With the aim of deepening the public's knowledge of the National Center of Photography and Images' (NCPI) historical building in Taipei, the NCPI collaborated with the Podcast channel Arch Plus Podcast (建築+) for the first time to produce and broadcast two episodes of the "Cultural Heritage Aerial Walk Special Program (文資空中散步特別節目)," inviting historians and architects to discuss the memory and utilization of historical sites of Taipei.
For the present episode "Renewal of Historic Sites – The Past and Present of the National Center of Photography and Images," associate professor at the National Taipei University of Technology Chang Kun-chen (張崑振) was invited to discuss the significance of the cultural heritage restoration, with a focus on the restoration of NCPI in Taipei.
The NCPI was formerly the Osaka Merchant Shipping Company Taipei Branch constructed in 1937 on Zhongxiao West Road in Taipei's Zhongzheng District during Japanese rule.
After being designated a municipal historical monument by Taipei’s Department of Cultural Affairs in 2014, the restoration of the monument was carried out based on the principle of restoring it to its former appearance in 1937, and turning it into an exhibition space for photography and video art.
The center hopes that those who are interested in architecture and cultural heritage will be able to experience the space amid the pandemic, and explore architectural history behind NCPI Taipei through the podcast.
For those interested in the permanent exhibition at the NCPI "Trans-Communication: From Osaka Shosen Kaisha to National Center of Photography and Images (跨‧交‧通)," please visit website.
To understand the architectural story of NCPI, please visit website. For further information on the podcasts, please go to NCPI's facebook page.
To register for visits to the NCPI in advance, please click on this link.