Taipei Performing Arts Center to Open Summer 2022

After years of delays, the Taipei Performing Arts Center (TPAC) in Taiwan is set to open in summer 2022. Designed by OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), founded by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rem Koolhaas, in collaboration with local firm KRIS YAO ARTECH and engineering giant Arup, the center aims to become a landmark of Asian cultural development. TPAC will house three theaters—the 800-seat Globe Playhouse with a spherical proscenium, the 1,500-seat Grand Theatre for diverse performances, and the 800-seat Blue Box for experimental works—which can combine into a 2,300-seat Super Theatre. A public walkway cuts through the building, offering views into normally hidden production spaces. Commissioned by the Taipei City Government, the nearly 60,000-square-meter complex sits above the famous Shilin night market. OMA managing partner David Gianotten, who led the project with Koolhaas, said the design creates new internal mechanisms for performance. TPAC CEO Austin Wang called the opening a milestone for Taipei, noting the project began as an idea in 1997 and became a visual concept in 2007. The center arrives amid Taiwan's increasing political isolation from China, which considers the island a rebel province. TPAC president Liu Ruo-yu expressed hope that international collaborations will help the world better understand Taiwan's history and culture.