National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts


National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts Weiwuying is a performance arts centre located in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

History

The land area on which the center is located was once a deserted area before being developed as a military camp. In the 1950s, it was the site of a recruitment base. In 2003, the Kaohsiung City Government decided to transform the area into a national performance center. In 2007, the design firm Mecanoo Architecten won the design and construction rights. The preparatory office was also set up by the Cultural Construction Committee of the Executive Yuan on 15 March 2006. The construction for the main building was completed in 2012.

Architecture

National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts is designed Dutch architectural firm Mecanoo. The center was built on 9.9 hectares of land covering 3.3 hectares of floor area. The design of the center was inspired by the banyan trees around the area. The center houses four indoor venues, which are the Lyric Theater, Concert Hall, Playhouse and Recital Hall. The pipe organ in the concert hall was manufactured by Johannes Klais Orgelbau. With 9,194 pipes, this is the grandest organ in Asia. It is now the largest art avenue in the world.

Transportation

The art center is accessible from Weiwuying Station of Kaohsiung MRT.

Gallery