Main Performance Hall at Kaohsiung Popular Music Center Complex

Role: Project Designer

An operable wall separates the main 5,000-seat performance hall and the outdoor multimedia plaza.  When open, the stages unit and allow the formation of a large indoor/outdoor Super Show.  The urban plaza will host large outdoor festivals and performances, and when not in use, it functions as a virtual portal that broadcasts live events from music centers around Taiwan and the World.

The undulating “musical ribbon” is the visual element used to unify the entire master plan.   As it reaches out from the main performance hall complex, it shapes the urban context and transforms the walls and roof structures of the complex into a unique and iconic architectural structure.  In key areas, such as the pop music exhibit area, it reacts with digital recorded sounds, videos, and music when touched by the users.  Controlled by integrated computerized lighting system, the “musical ribbon” pulsates in lighting intensity and changes color as larger crowds converge for events.

I was the lead project designer for this competition proposal.  This was one of three international design competitions in Taiwan I entered between 2011-2012.

Design by Howard Chen while at Quantum-AIP as Founding Partner/ Design Director (2009-2015)