Weiwuying Architect Participates in London Festival of Architecture
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The architect behind the National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts (Weiwuying) Francine Houben was invited to deliver a lecture titled “Designing for Culture” at the V&A Museum as part of the London Festival of Architecture on 24 June. Houben explained to an enthralled crowd of 120 people how she infuses local cultural elements into modern architectural design. Houben said that her architectural philosophy is "People, Place, Purpose", emphasising that architecture must consider human culture, value the local environment and understand the functions the venue requires. She cited Weiwuying as an example of cultural architecture, pointing out the design was inspired by the local Banyan trees which represent Kaohsiung’s climate, and its shipbuilding industry, thus inspiring the creation of the building. In his welcome speech, Deputy Representative Mr Shyang-Yun Cheng thanked the architect for her role in what he called “Taiwan’s greatest cultural investment in a generation”.
