Conceptual Design Competition for Heart of the Capital: CKS Memorial Park, Taipei

Chapter 1: Underlying Urban Duality

Placed at the heart of Taipei City as urban focal point and historical palimpsest, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Park has come to the fringe of change to embrace the turbulent shifts of myriad urban lifestyles nowadays. Though the memorial park is situated in a relatively complex and diverse urban context, the adjacent domains and typological distribution have shown an emerging duality- between the formal institutional establishments and the mixed archetypes of mundane living and varied dialectics for the people.

Being a symbol for the authoritarian regime that belongs to the past, the CKS Memorial Park is always representing the image of such formal narratives as an institutional icon. Whereas in this project, we seek for its transformation into a neutral state instead, to bridge the formal narratives and the manifold dialectics as a collective vessel. It raises the key concern of this project: How could the transformation address this duality through a medium that introduces Fresh Interpretations, Spatial Transformation, and New Usage simultaneously?

Chapter 2: Lines of Regeneration

Based on the contextual analysis, lines are drawn to signify the transitioning direction between the institutional establishments and the dialectic archetypes. They accentuate the notion of a dialogue within, an equilibrium, and a regeneration of relationship- of its authority, the people, the environment, and the historical narration. For this regeneration to happen, the traces of time shall overlay across the park, giving a gentle reminder of the bygone history- everything worth of remembrance, but nothing more than collective memories.

Inspired by the Joseph Beuys’s 7000 Oaks project in Kassel Germany, trees are portrayed as natural monument to be infilled along the lines in this project. The infinite horizon of the mature forest shall blur and soften the stiff authoritarian image of the original CKS memorial park. They represent the refreshing element which its meaning embedded within its constant growth throughout the time- speaks profoundly of its activism, hope, regeneration through the tree nursery program as a cumulative movement.

Chapter 3: Progressive Trajectory of Condensation

In this proposal, we wish the tree nursery could also transcends its meaning beyond only a participatory movement, accumulative activism, or urban afforestation. It shall leave something matters, something which grows with time and tells further stories to the coming generations. The tree nursery can be an act of seeding a progressive movement, where the shifting paradigm of tress is anticipated in a trajectory of lifecycle: tree as collective emblem, tree as civic pedestal, tree as natural monument, and tree as time condenser.

This paradigm shift is analogous to an evolutionary progress, where people are free to interpret such an oasis within the bustling city from time to time, though the trees are most of the time in a constant state of growing. In the other way around, the trees are also witness to the accelerating change of the city, of its artifices, people, nature, and history as well. Such interchange of dialogue is actively happened but never spoken out, but condensed as a series of collective memories in different versions to different people.

Chapter 4: Archipelagos of the Mundane

Initially, the tree planting can be launched as a public participatory program with the help of town authority, acting as an early activation to kickstart the transformation from bottom-up. Temporary supporting frame system is set up for the early stage of tree plantation, while also acting as space dividers for any early events. Every tree planted can mean for very personal sentiments, yet the whole forest will be a barometer to value the collective memories for the community and their future generations in a continuous spectrum.

As time passes, the broad range of species for mature trees and plants shall resemble a garden of diversity and a complete ecosystem, with a shifting density towards the entrance which faces more surrounding institutional establishments. Some parts located in proximity with the existing urban porosity are introduced with a pocket space and folly structures for flexible functions: art performances, open-air cinema, farmer’s emporium, artisan market, exhibition pavilion, energy carousel etc.

Chapter 5: Follies of Common Virtues

Considered as structure without specific purposes, follies are seen more like relics of its context or sculpture of its users, allowing freedom of people to give meaning or interpretations to it. Placed among the trees, they are strategically located across the possible intersection points of the latent urban axes. Their anomaly existence within the urban forest, shall ignites curiosity and draws people as urban nodes. Their vacant nature leaves possibilities of varied programs or activities to be introduced either from a bottom-up or a top-down initiation.

Though given with their ambiguous purposes, the follies are designed in several typologies- circus, ribbon, shards, belfry, frame, emporium, isle, treehouse, channel. They are each derived respectively from the common virtues shared by the democratic society of Taiwanese- justice, hospitality, transcendence, flourish, temperance, diligence, wisdom, courage, and truth. Such meanings are embedded profoundly within the modus of these follies, deliberately being hidden yet implying quietly through its potential forms and functions so the freedom of interpretations is intact still.

Chapter 6: Oasis of Taiwan’s Heterogeneity

Among the complex and diverse cityscape of Taipei, we envision the new CKS Memorial Park to transcends more than just a public square- it can be a living museum of Taiwanese’s everyday; a common place for many rendezvous; a haven for instant escapism from stressful city living; an urban forest of biodiversity; a grounded epiphany of Taiwan history; and so on. Contrasting to the chaotic adjacent urban context, the seamless and harmonious atmosphere created by lines of trees draw a consistency to connect such manifold diversity. It should always reflect the multiplicity of values embraced by the Taiwanese today and tomorrow, accompanied with the constant spirit of empathy and democracy.

Enduring and witnessing through years, the new CKS Memorial Park is anticipated to become the common heritage of natural and human artifacts, and perpetually connecting the heterogeneous ecosystem, history, ethnicity, culture, civilization, religion, architecture, and urbanism of Taiwan. It becomes the continuum for both the old and new, past and future, decay and growth.