New Taipei City Art Museum / KRIS YAO

Architects: KRIS YAO | ARTECH
Area: 32641 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Shephotoerd Co., Iwan Baan, Shawn Liu Studio
Structure Consultants: Arup, Chuang Wei Structural Engineering Inc.
Architect: Kris Yao
Clients: Cultural Affairs Department, New Taipei City Government
Inspection Architect: Glen Lu
Design Team: Kuo-Chien Shen, Chien-Yi Wu, Winnie Wang, Meng-Fan Yang, Shwo-Huey Yeh, Ming-Hung She, William Ho, Ke-Huan Wen, Eric Jap, Hui-Chi Chen, Po-Yen Tai, Young Kang, Yen-Ling Hsu, Wei-Hsuan Lin, Cindy Huang
Construction Inspection Team: Jun-Ren Chou, Tien-Sheng Tsai, Sky Lin, Jun-Shun Wang, Willy Yu, Tien-Yu Lo, Bill Chen, Ming-Nan Lee
MEP: Arup
HVAC: I. S. LIN & Associates Consulting Engineers
Landscape Design: SWA Group
Landscape Execution: CNHW Planning & Design Consultants
Facade: maRco façade Studio
Lighting Consultant: Chroma33 Architectural Lighting Design Inc.
Acoustics: Xu-Acoustique, Shen Milsom & Wilke
Stage Design: Creative Solution Integration Ltd.
Contractors: Joyear Group Construction Co., Ltd.
Location: New Taipei, Taiwan

New Taipei City Art Museum, designed by KRIS YAO | ARTECH, sits on reclaimed land at the confluence of the Yingge and Dahan Rivers, with Guilun Mountain to the north and the Dahan River and Xueshan Range to the south. Inspired by the area’s heritage, the facade features sandblasted aluminum tubes and staggered three-color panels, resembling swaying reeds and reflecting the dynamic landscape. At ground level, a concrete “art village” with streets, terraces, cafes, and workshops is modeled after the old streets of Yingge and Sanxia, inviting visitors to explore art installations and activities. Above, the steel-structured museum houses flexible exhibition spaces, including general, large-scale, international, and themed galleries, with a rooftop garden restaurant offering panoramic views. Textured concrete walls mimic the erosion of the Dahan River, while a weathering steel entrance bridge harmonizes with the reed-like facade, creating a seamless blend of art, nature, and accessibility.

New taipei city art museum / kris yao | artech

The New Taipei City Art Museum is located on reclaimed land at the meeting point of the Yingge River and Dahan River. The gently sloping site resembles an island surrounded by flowing streams, offering breathtaking views of the mountain and river landscapes. Guilun Mountain lies to the north, while the Dahan River and Xueshan Range extend to the south. Inspired by the region’s rich history and culture, the design incorporates features such as the dry riverbed, the charm of old streets and brick buildings, and the swaying reeds that flourish in autumn and winter. These elements come together to form a modern and forward-looking architectural expression, described as a “museum of modern and contemporary art among the reeds.”

The design seamlessly integrates natural and fabricated elements, interpreting each through the form of the other. The distinctive facade features sandblasted aluminum tubes of varying heights and lengths, combined with vertically segmented three-color aluminum panels arranged in a staggered pattern. From a distance, this linear screen evokes the soft, blurred image of reeds swaying in the wind, effectively concealing the solid exhibition box that is typical of this building typology. It cleverly reflects the constantly changing natural environment and landscape on its facade, drawing attention with its unique architectural character and offering visitors a visual experience of fleeting transformations within the expansive surroundings.

At ground level, the fair-faced concrete art village reveals a network of art streets and sculpture terraces. The museum embraces the concept of being ‘open to all,’ allowing visitors to freely explore outdoor terraces lined with cafes, workshops, and restaurants, which are spatially arranged to resemble the traditional streets of Yingge and Sanxia. Visitors can engage in various art activities, spend time admiring open installations, or follow the brick-paved paths leading to the hilltop to enjoy views of the surrounding landscape.

Above the art village, the steel-structured art museum hovers, with its rigid rectangular form hidden behind a swaying reedbed created by numerous vertical tubes of varying heights. The long-span structural system provides highly flexible exhibition spaces. A grand staircase leads visitors to an elevated lobby on the second floor, offering access to four types of display spaces: general exhibition rooms, large-scale exhibition rooms, international exhibition rooms, and special-themed exhibition areas. On the roof, a garden restaurant allows diners to enjoy expansive views of the Dahan Riverscape. The design also includes separate circulation for the operation management center and collection storage, streamlining control, and security measures.

The open art village incorporates an original concrete materiality that highlights the geographic typology shaped by the erosion of the Dahan River. The architectural concrete walls are textured with imprints of diagonally arranged cedar wood planks, contrasting with the rugged, chiseled surfaces along the top and sides. These grainy concrete walls, combined with brick pavements, form a winding and dynamic spatial arrangement, creating an artistic environment seamlessly integrated with nature.

The landscape bridge at the site’s entrance is built from weathering steel, which evolves over time, developing a distinctive color and texture. Within the natural surroundings, it harmonizes with the blurred, reed-like facade of the art museum, acting as an inviting starting point that guides visitors further into the museum for exploration.