Architecture

Circular tower proposed for Taichung City, Taiwan

Circular tower proposed for Taichung City, Taiwan
Taiwan Tower is intended to enhance the urban culture for Taichung City citizens (image: STL Architects)
Taiwan Tower is intended to enhance the urban culture for Taichung City citizens (image: STL Architects)
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Taiwan Tower is intended to enhance the urban culture for Taichung City citizens (image: STL Architects)
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Taiwan Tower is intended to enhance the urban culture for Taichung City citizens (image: STL Architects)
STL Architects' impressive Taiwan Tower concept (image: STL Architects)
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STL Architects' impressive Taiwan Tower concept (image: STL Architects)
STL Architects' dramatic Taiwan Tower design reduces CO2 in the air (image: STL Architects)
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STL Architects' dramatic Taiwan Tower design reduces CO2 in the air (image: STL Architects)
Taiwan Tower is intended to enhance the urban culture of Taichung City citizens (image: STL Architects)
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Taiwan Tower is intended to enhance the urban culture of Taichung City citizens (image: STL Architects)
The building will soar 320 meters (1,049 feet) above a central parkland and will incorporate sustainable energy initiatives (image: STL Architects)
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The building will soar 320 meters (1,049 feet) above a central parkland and will incorporate sustainable energy initiatives (image: STL Architects)
The low center of gravity creates a lean at the tower of the tower, perfect for the planned observation deck (image: STL Architects)
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The low center of gravity creates a lean at the tower of the tower, perfect for the planned observation deck (image: STL Architects)
The building will soar 320 meters (1,049 feet) above a central parkland and will incorporate sustainable energy initiatives (image: STL Architects)
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The building will soar 320 meters (1,049 feet) above a central parkland and will incorporate sustainable energy initiatives (image: STL Architects)
Taiwan Tower is intended to enhance the urban culture of Taichung City citizens (image: STL Architects)
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Taiwan Tower is intended to enhance the urban culture of Taichung City citizens (image: STL Architects)
Taiwan Tower is intended to enhance the urban culture of Taichung City citizens (image: STL Architects)
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Taiwan Tower is intended to enhance the urban culture of Taichung City citizens (image: STL Architects)
STL's dramatic design would create a monument in the center of the city in the form of a circular tower (image: STL Architects)
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STL's dramatic design would create a monument in the center of the city in the form of a circular tower (image: STL Architects)
STL's dramatic design would create a monument in the center of the city in the form of a circular tower (image: STL Architects)
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STL's dramatic design would create a monument in the center of the city in the form of a circular tower (image: STL Architects)
The building will soar 320 meters (1,049 feet) above a central parkland (image: STL Architects)
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The building will soar 320 meters (1,049 feet) above a central parkland (image: STL Architects)
STL's dramatic design would create a monument in the center of the city in the form of a circular tower (image: STL Architects)
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STL's dramatic design would create a monument in the center of the city in the form of a circular tower (image: STL Architects)
The Taiwan Tower's sky-deck, looking out over the park and Taichung City (image: STL Architects)
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The Taiwan Tower's sky-deck, looking out over the park and Taichung City (image: STL Architects)
View gallery - 14 images

Chicago-based STL Architects is hoping to impact the identity of Taichung City with its impressive Taiwan Tower concept. The designs have been submitted as part of the Taiwan Tower competition, where architects have been challenged to design a monument that would enhance the urban culture for Taichung citizens. STL's dramatic design would create a monument in the center of the city in the form of a circular tower.

The building would soar 320 meters (1,049 feet) above a central parkland, incorporating sustainable energy initiatives such as solar energy and CO2 filters. The central lobby would feature a cultural museum, and visitors would have the opportunity to go up to the sky-deck, looking out over the park and Taichung city.

The exterior of the tower would be pixilated with glazed openings, with light degradation varying between 20 and 60 percent. This would create the lighting required for the central section of the structure, and would save resources by using fewer materials. Minimal structural beams would be positioned to support the building's shape, in order to avoid dead weight zones.

The Taiwan Tower's sky-deck, looking out over the park and Taichung City (image: STL Architects)
The Taiwan Tower's sky-deck, looking out over the park and Taichung City (image: STL Architects)

The foundations would be embedded several stories into the earth, to prevent the overall structure from twisting in on itself, thus ensuring that the tower will resist lateral movement and prevent the possibility of it falling. The low center of gravity creates a lean at the top of the tower, perfect for the planned observation deck.

"The twisting of the conventional idea of a tower and tilting of the complex structure occurs as an attempt to contextualize the building into a new technological era," says STL.

View gallery - 14 images
7 comments
7 comments
Michael Gene
That\'s a really big Stargate.
Racqia Dvorak
@Michael Gene
How many chevrons does this thing have???
Micah Houchin
The inner diameter is probably 260-270 and about 1.2 chevron per foot of the inner diameter. I would round it up to about 300. GO SUPERGATE!
Gadgeteer
The American patriot in me is enviously dismissive. The rational part of me says, \"Why not?\" Other countries have the right to make their own architectural icons as we did in decades past. We have the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. As long as they can afford this and it doesn\'t hurt any other country, they should go for it.
AngryPenguin
Does anyone else kinda want to see an airplane fly through that thing?
Renārs Grebežs
I as well saw a Stargate when looking at the concept. :D
Bobthefish
Poo. Everyone else saw a Stargate too.
And, no, I don\'t want to see a plane fly through it. Wraith homeworld anyone?