Construction work has started on MVRDV's new urban green corridor called "Tainan Axis" in downtown Tainan, Taiwan. The groundbreaking ceremony was held with the Mayor of Tainan, William Lai, together with the Urban Development Bureau of Tainan City, the Urbanists Collaborative and LLJ Architects yesterday.

The Tainan Axis will transform the former site of the China-Town Mall into a green corridor with public interventions along Haian Road. MVRDV won the competition in 2015 together with an interdisciplinary team of experts including local firm The Urbanist Collaborative, LLJ Architects, Progressive Environmental, Urban Sculptor Planning & Designing Consultants, THI Consultants and MEP engineers Songsing.

The transformation of China-Town Plaza and Haian Road include a green public square with playgrounds, commercial units and cafés. Image © APLUS CG, courtesy of MVRDV

"Haian Road is a lively and social gathering spot in the city due to its numerous offerings of outdoor seating, and several blocks of bars and restaurants. The transformation of China-Town plaza and its perpendicular axis on Haian Road, which together form the T-axis, aims to re-establish the waterfront connection that has been lost, and provide an important stimulus to the redevelopment of the neighborhood by encouraging residents and visitors to use of public spaces," stated MVRDV. 

The scheme - occupying a total of 54,600 square-metre area - proposes a new public square featuring a lush, green lagoon, dunes and playgrounds and these areas will be combined with commercial units such as retail kiosks, a tourist info point, tea house and art gallery.

The waterfront is connected by a green promenade and an artificial beach along the canal. Image © APLUS CG, courtesy of MVRDV

"With Tainan Axis, we want to reintroduce to the city, a space for socialising and also, to introduce swimming into what lay in ruins. A versatile public space that connects the water back to the city and brings different types of people together, and indeed a lively oasis to cool down in for hot Taiwanese summer days", said Winy Maas, Founding Partner of MVRDV.

The project also includes new transport nodes in the east of the city center that will allow Haian Road to be relieved from its current flow of traffic. The new nodes will provide alternatives to develop the area as a lively public zone with improved spaces and activities. 

The studio will apply different pavements on this axis that will be unified according to various functions to improve wayfinding. Image © APLUS CG, courtesy of MVRDV

MVRDV reconfigures the existing routing system aiming to reduce the traffic speed, and a complete closure at nighttime allows for pedestrians and small businesses to spill out onto the road, turning it into a lively hub for both locals and tourists.

The studio will apply different pavements on this axis and these new pavements will be unified according to various functions to improve wayfinding. The visitors and local people will see a series of scattered objects installed along the road including ventilation shafts, elevators and entrances to the underground parking garage. All these public interventions will be wrapped with a glass skin, and extended to create new pavilions, kiosks and viewing towers.

A reduction of traffic at daytime and a complete closure at nighttime turn the roads into a lively hub for locals and tourists. Image © APLUS CG, courtesy of MVRDV

If everything goes on a plan, the construction of the project is expected to be completed in April 2018. MVRDV recently transformed Seoul's 1970's disused overpass into a giant public garden, featuring a matrix of Korean flora on the 16m elevated steel and concrete structure. 

The mega-bridge includes more than 200 local species of trees, shrubs and flowers. Since its opening, 2,040,000 people walked on the Seoullo Skygarden.

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