CENTENARY BEITOU'S MEMORY

Experiencing historical continuity of Beitou's time

Site: Beitou, New Taipei City, Taiwan

Type: academic/ individual work/ 3rd grade

Date: 2018.01/ remake 2022.11

Supervisor: Chung-Heng Hsieh (Wn1172@hotmail.com)

As a Taiwanese, I'm deeply attracted by Beitou's prosperous development in history and profound cultural heritage. From railways historical buildings, Japanese culture, hot spring industry to modern ecological green building practices, Beitou Park has become the core of Beitou's memory for more than a century. I focusd on exploring the possibility of practicing and visualise historical continuity in park, trying to uncover the current impression of Beitou, which is full of hot spring business, and reconnect Beitou park with people's life from the perspective of retrospecting , experiencing and appreciating history. Beitou is in rich of different culture, race and historical architectures over a century. The innitial and the most critical driving force was the development of Beitou train system

ISSUE - Obstacle

The complex landform, large altitude difference and extremely dense trees result in big visual obstacle of historical architectures and reduce the accessibility.

SCULPT - Reconnect the cultural axis

Beitou park and station inherit a large amount of Beitou’s history and culture, while railway establishment played an crucial role in improving the development of Beitou. Thus, reconnect and refresh the broken cultural axis of Beitou by the medium of railway memory.

1. Magnify the rail system and connect the imagery to landscape

2. Enlarge the details of train track and cultivate immersive space

3. Experience the history and culture

/train track/

H section steel path and linear structures

ISSUE - Disconnection

Unproper and complicated paths distrup the connection of Beitou resident living area, hot spring commercial activities and Beitou park.

STRATEGY - Sculpt & Open rail sleeper gravel weeds activity zone connection of action zones plant area

Two main strategies are used to refurbish the no featured and orderless situation of Beitou Park. Reconnect the cultural meaning the of Beitou by sculpting the landform and traceback the lifestyle by openning the lowland of Beitou Hot Spring Museum.

Multiple Activities old station track plaza

Temporary Water Play Area slight suken plaza

Screening Area display the history of Beitou

H-shape Rest Corridor relex and collect thoughts

Types of activity zone

OPEN - Traceback the living axis

Beitou Station Section

Landscaped lawn terraces wrap around the building and clever changes in level provide a variety of multi-use spaces, including an amphitheatre, for entertainment or function purposes.

Entrence Waterscape

Crossing Pavement

Track Plaza

Track Mirror Pool

Slight Suken Plaza

Screening of Time

Main Square

Outdoor Theater

Historical Fountain Plaza

Lawn Terraces

Festival Platform

Foot Bath Platform

Riverside Stage

Museum Lawn

Open-air Stage

Forest Path

Corner Square

The thought-provoking form endeavours to keep the historical train track from being forgotten, meanwhile provids flexible and various activities to flourish.

Rather than introducing drastic change, try the utmost not to interfere with the values of the sites. The riverside stage strikes a new balance between the historical meaning, human activites and the natural environment of Beitou River.

Additions of platforms and lawn terraces were kept as subtle as possible to eliminate the large altitude differences and show the visitors that this is a site for appreiciating historical buildings, immersing in memory and experiencing Beitou's lifestyle, such as art or music fesitival, open-air show and hot spring foot bath happen