The Taipei Twin Star project, which is currently being designed by the renowned U.S. architectural firm SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill), is Taiwan's newest landmark development project and is attracting a lot of attention in the marketplace. SOM Managing Partner Jane Liangyu disclosed at the Taichung City Architectural Management Association's Masters' Seminar on October 10, that the Taipei Twin Star project is located in the area of Taiwan's largest population movement and busiest train station. The busiest station, the most difficult design is in the complicated underground structure and pedestrian flow design, so the design includes a link to the Taipei Station double elevated pedestrian "Taipei Promenade", with a large area of public cultural space to the "City Hall" presentation.
Jian said the Taipei Gemini project, located in the western gateway to Taipei City, has a total floor area of about 360,000 square meters and consists of two skyscrapers, which are expected to be completed in 2028 and officially open in 2029. The project will combine offices, businesses, art galleries, hotels and a transportation hub to create an urban core that blends functionality and aesthetics.
Chien was invited to attend the Taichung City Building Management Association's Master Lecture today to share his extensive experience in building headquarters buildings and urban landmarks in more than 20 cities in Asia, and to discuss key strategies and global observations under the theme of "High-end Residential Architectural Design + Sustainable Design".
Yang Chih-peng, chairman of Taichung City Architectural Management Association, pointed out that SOM is one of the most influential architectural design firms in the world. Since its establishment in 1936, SOM has a long history and has completed more than 10,000 projects in more than 50 countries around the globe, and has won numerous international architectural awards, with its representative works covering skyline landmarks and public space design, including the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, One World Trade Center in New York, the Manhattan Tower in Manhattan, the World Trade Center in New York, the World Trade Center in New York, and the World Trade Center in New York. Its representative works cover skyline landmarks and public spaces, including the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, One World Trade Center in New York, and the High Line Sky Garden in Manhattan, which demonstrate SOM's concern for towers, public spaces, and social sustainability.
Liang-Yu Chien, who is originally from Jhuolan, Miaoli, holds a Master's degree in Real Estate and Urban Development from Harvard University, a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from Cornell University, and architectural licenses in Massachusetts, California and New York. Since joining SOM in 2000, he has combined his architectural expertise with his urban development vision to lead a number of important projects in Asia, such as the China World Trade Center in Beijing, the Shanghai Creative Industries Park, the Huawei campus, and the Poly headquarters in Guangzhou.
In recent years, Mr. Kan has played a key role in driving market expansion in Mainland China and Southeast Asia, successfully establishing long-term partnerships with developers of different cultures, and leading teams to realize integrated practices from urban planning to detailed construction with his cross-regional and cross-cultural management style.
SOM emphasizes six core design concepts: locality, structural performance, functional integration, social space, narrative and sustainability. SOM's deep understanding of place can be seen in its past works, such as the One World Trade Center, a tribute to the past built next to the site of the Twin Towers that collapsed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which showed the world what they could do with the skyline and reached the pinnacle of architectural aesthetics and urban memory.
SOM also continues to lead the world in net-zero carbon emissions and green building transformation, implementing viable solutions for low-carbon cities through double-story façades, energy-efficient features, rainwater recycling and natural ventilation strategies.
Today's seminar, Mr. Chien shared with the audience how housing reflects the culture of the city, how to integrate the shopping and community characteristics of different cities, as well as the design practice of integrating architecture with art and aesthetics; he also discussed in-depth sustainable issues such as moving towards net-zero carbon emissions and green building standards for buildings. In addition to creating beautiful architectural works, promoting the sustainable development of the construction industry is SOM's continuous mission and commitment.
