Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Three new expo pavilions built specifically for the 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition – “Pavilion of Future”, “Pavilion of Life” and “Pavilion of Dream” – made their first appearance before the media on March 17.
Accompanied by architect Chang Ching-hwa, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin led journalists on a tour through these landmark structures, which are located inside the Xinsheng Park area.
Hau remarked that most people recognize Chang as the architect of the Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch. The fabulous wooden structure received the highest rating (“Diamond”) from Taiwan’s EEWH Green Building certification.
According to the mayor, the architect adopted large amount of reusable materials and new construction methods for the pavilions, seeking to obtain green building certificates for them. For example, the roof has been layered with ETFE – thermal insulating plastics used for the Beijing National Aquatics Center. The pavilions are also powered by solar panels – making them the city’s largest energy-saving facility.
Chang said she seeks to create an environment where people and spaces can interact harmoniously. To achieve this goal, she kept the height of the halls lower than surrounding trees, populated the rooftops and walls with vegetations, and rearranged the trails within the park so tourists can walk to the top of the roof – a great place for plane spotting.
The three pavilions will continue to serve as activity venues for residents and sponsor companies after the flora expo concludes.
For readers who want to learn more about the buildings, the Discovery Channel will broadcast the program “Eco Taiwan: Green Building” on March 27.