TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The 2025 Taiwan Architecture Awards were presented on Tuesday, with first prize going to architect Kris Yao (姚仁喜) and his firm Artech for the design of the New Taipei City Art Museum.
Honorable mentions were awarded to Yuhsien Social Housing Phase II (育賢二期社會住宅), the Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank Headquarters Building, and the Yilan Bus Station. The Keelung Tower also received a special award, per CNA.
According to Taiwan Architect magazine, the jury said the New Taipei City Art Museum transformed a former waste disposal site. The project restored the landscape while creating a pathway linking Yingge Railway Station to the riverbank.
Judges praised the museum’s exterior wall system, structural technology, and construction methods, saying they demonstrated a high level of craftsmanship. They noted the museum had already won multiple international architectural competitions, a triumph for Taiwanese design.
The jury commended Yuhsien Social Housing Phase II for its P-shaped standard floor plan composed of towers and corridors in Taichung’s former Dali River redevelopment zone. The interlocking design creates a courtyard-like space that improves ventilation and natural lighting. The open areas can also be used for markets, festivals, and children’s play, reflecting the project’s potential to guide future social housing development.
The Shanghai Commercial Bank Headquarters, located at the intersection of Minquan East Road and Zhongshan North Road, was praised for making effective use of its corner plot. Judges highlighted its diagonal grid exterior structural system, which they said provides an artistic aesthetic and manages irregular volumes while maintaining a sense of order that revitalizes the surrounding streetscape.
The Yilan Transfer Station, which serves about three million passengers annually, was commended for its fluid spatial layout and ability to accommodate heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The judges said its interwoven steel frames and concrete walls create openness and comfort, while its thick earthen cover enhances energy efficiency.
The Keelung Tower received a special award for its distinctive spatial experience created by demolishing the former police station and using a tower to form new vertical circulation routes. Judges said the pedestrian path from the ground-level shopping street to the top of the tower is a striking landmark that boosts local tourism and commerce.
