Public Loop

The Public Loop leads non-ticketed visitors into the back of house of the theater, offering a glimpse behind the performing arts. The Public Loop starts at the orange passage on 1F, and passes through the lower stage of the Grand Theater, the backstage of the Super Theater, and the technical grid of the Blue Box, evoking a feeling of voyeurism. The visitors can see the back of house areas but cannot cross over; they can see the performances but cannot hear the sound; they can observe the front of house and backstage spaces at the same time, without disturbing the performers and audience.

From the outdoor café terrace on 1F, there is a distant view of the mountains in the north of Taipei. The Public Loop then passes through the offices on 10F and the outdoor meditation area – around which are the rehearsal rooms – on 11F, eventually reaching the viewing deck surrounded by corrugated glass. Looking southward from here, visitors see the old and new urban fabric of Taipei, while the corrugated glass shows the refraction of the Grand Hotel Taipei and the rest of the city. At different nodes in the Public Loop, visitors can experience the reality and illusion of the scenes and the diversity of culture in Taipei. The Public Loop transforms the building into a platform that showcases a seemingly contradictory yet rich urban life.