Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

On November 17, Mayor Ko Wen-je attended the blessing ceremony for the foundation of the government-sponsored urban renewal project located on the east side of Nangang Bus Station. 

According to the mayor, the complex takes up an area of 26,000 square meters and is the collaboration among Taiwan Railway Administration, city hall, Ruentex Group, and Taipei Housing and Urban Regeneration Center. The future 32-story office building and surrounding facilities will become a major landmark in Taipei. 

During his address, Ko pointed out that the master plan of the East District Gateway Project is mostly set, and all that’s left is constructing the buildings. When he first entered office, the only major facility in the district is the Nangang Software Park. Over eight years, his administration used the experience from Xinyi District’s planning in developing a brand-new urban plan for Nangang. That is why Nangang is arguably the district with the most urban plan in Taipei – and in the rest of Taiwan. 

The mayor pointed out that from the completion of the National Biotechnology Research Park to the anticipated opening of the Nangang Biotechnology Industry Building in 2023, the district will be an important hub of Taiwan’s biotech sector, populated by key institutions such as Academia Sinica, National Laboratory Animal Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Food and Drug Administration. In fact, there is no vacancy left in the Nangang Biotechnology Industry Building, demonstrating the important role the area will play in the future. 

Citing the challenges encountered throughout the process of building the Taipei Music Center, the mayor remarked that the final piece of the puzzle – the Live House – will be completed in May 2023. He hopes that the neighborhood will become an important hub of pop music in Eastern Asia. 

Ko also indicated that there are 1,400 units available at the Nangang Depot Social Housing. There are also spaces for industries on the first, second, and third floor of the building. The edifice is also Taiwan’s first reversible building, where all the components can be recycled and reused after 70 years.