The danish architects from BIG, Bjarke Ingels Group, have designed a 53,000 m2 public urban block in Taipei, Taiwan. ‘TEK’ which stands for ‘Technology, Entertainment and Knowledge center Taipei’, measures 57 x 57 x 57 m and is a cubic structure that hosts a spiraling street of activities related to contemporary technology and media.
Leading the public from the street level to the roof garden, the ascending spiral serves as the anchor to a number of programs, including shops, showrooms, offices, conference rooms, exhibition spaces, restaurants and galleries.
The layout is organized to best provide for each facility: daylight sensitive programs such as hotel rooms and offices resides on the perimeter, while retail and exhibition spaces occupy the core.
The volume is finished in concrete lamellas, a system of stacked plate-like pieces that provide solar shading as well as aid in public access. The facade is a generous public staircase while on the roof level, the inward form houses an arena-like space for informal social gatherings.
