As 2022 draws to an end, we are looking back on the work that we did over the year. While we are gradually reaching out overseas again, this year’s focus has been on projects in Taiwan. Here are some highlights that we’d like to share with you:
In Taichung City we designed a new-build 5-storey high-end restaurant/bakery, which is expected to commence construction early next year. It is located at the southern gateway of a famous park designed by prominent Swiss architect Philippe Rahm Architectes and extraordinary French landscape architects Mosbach Paysagistes. We wanted a design that echoes their unique approach based on climatic principles. As a building, it complements the various pavilions throughout the site as well as the upcoming Cultural Center by SANAA’s Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa at the northern end of the park. Our main image above is a sneak peek at this new project.
As one of the finalists out of almost a hundred entries in the Argo Island Villa International Design Competition, we had a wonderful opportunity to experience Penghu, an offshore island of Taiwan famous for beautiful seascape views, a unique basalt landscape, and mountains of coral rocks. Part of our program is to transform local environmental waste and oyster shell discards into viable building material. Our task for the competition’s final stage is to create eco-friendly yet climate-resilient architecture in the form of a vacation villa, based on circular design principles and with minimal impact on the coastal environment.
Earlier this year, construction was completed on a sales center showcasing one of the most exciting residential addresses in the southern major city of Kaohsiung. The color, material, and detailing choices reflect the shipbuilding heritage of the harbor city while its form reflects the modern and contemporary residences that dominate the city skyline. Designed in collaboration with HHNL Design of Taipei, the interiors are a choreography of sales galleries, showrooms, and exhibition areas with a bookstore and café.
Four projects are currently under construction. They range from a single-family home extension to a large six-floor production center for a printing company. We also received a construction permit for an academic building within a notable arts high school campus in Taichung. The construction of our shoe production and automation R&D center in Vietnam continues at a gradual pace.
Exhibitions & publications:
We were invited to showcase speculative work at two exhibitions in Seoul, South Korea, alongside other studios like Tonkin Liu Architects and UnSangDong Architects. The first, titled Future Architecture, was held at Total Museum of Contemporary Art, the first private art institute in South Korea. We were inspired by the Korean artist Nam June Paik’s interpretation of the ephemeral nature of the “electronic superhighway,” a term he coined to describe humanity’s increasing dependence on digital culture. We developed a 4.5m high video projection that presented solar pathway in a completely novel format. We will be releasing the video soon so please like or follow us on social media!
The other exhibition is our second appearance at the Seoul Biennale for Architecture and Urbanism, curated by Architect Byoung Soo Cho. Our proposal for a climate-resilient approach to masterplanning Seoul was one of the winners selected to be presented at next year’s Biennale.
MIIM Design Director Min Ter Lim is featured in the Czech magazine ERA21’s recently published issue #132 (#06/2022 Dánsko: tradice, koncept, hygge). Lastly, we’re honored to mention that our “House with 3 Facades” in Yilan won the 2022 iF Design Award’s Best Architecture Design in the Residential category. The same project was also a Platinum Winner of the Muse Design Awards 2021.
That concludes 2022. We look forward to a better year ahead and would love to hear from you again in 2023. Happy holidays!
