OFF Architecture has proposed a sustainable tower for Taiwan that oversees the Taichung basin and serves as an observatory of the central Taiwan ecosystem that ranges from the Central Mountain Range to the South China Sea.
The 350m tall structure, built at an inclination of 2 degrees, the Taichung Echo Wind Tower comprised of about 2 million suspended thin metal leaves that tilt up against the wind, which is used to operate 64 internal wind turbines, generating all the energy the tower needs.
During the day, visitors seize in the reflection produced by polished metal leaves, and after dark the structure doubles as a gigantic 2 million pixel LCD vertical screen that can be used to produce a number of digital visuals. The structure floats above the ground on top a tripod, under which the architects have envisioned the Taichung City Development.
The facade shows patterns of air flows as a monumental expression of the natural context and its immediate climatic conditions. Its skin symbolizes the cohesion of the surrounding habitat while the evolving winds provide transformations of its form.
An isostatic tripod emerges from within the reservoir comprising of a lobby, an office block and a singular mirrored shape. The tower floats above ground fitted on top of the tripod.
The museum of the Taichung city development is suspended under the tripod and exhibits a model of the Taichung metropolis composed of key historical urban fragments, architectural landmarks and views of the cityscape. It hosts group and individual educational programs about the city, its achievements and digital projections on the sky scrapping screen.
The achieved technology acts not only as a monumental object but functions as an instrument to promote cultural ventures and moreover democracy.
The archetypal perspective is flipped into a new contemporary view of space organization illustrated by the array of a visitor’s viewpoints.
The tower strongly displays in its design the vibrance of the Taiwanese democratic identity and echoes the technological proficiency that supports its conscious and sustainable urban development of the central metropolis within the central Taiwanese ecosystem.
