From domination to co-existence
Monica Kuo, a professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at Chinese Culture University, notes that although Taiwan is surrounded by sea, large-scale construction and public works such as river dykes, seawalls, and coastal highways all tend to prioritize safety above any possibility of human interaction with the sea. The only way to truly live up to the spirit of a maritime nation is for people to change their mindset from trying to fight nature to living with it and integrating maritime ecological and cultural aesthetics into public construction work.
This is exactly what characterizes Kuo Chung-twn’s work. In 1986, she returned to Taiwan after studying in Japan and took on a project for the Dongshan River Water Park in Yilan County, her first project in Taiwan and the starting point for her career in landscape design. The project made the river a part of everyday local life, setting a new benchmark for public works in Taiwan. Many of today’s most acclaimed landscaping projects, such as the Liuchuan Riverside Walk in Taichung and the uncovering and renovation of Yunlin Creek, can be said to bear her influence to some degree.
It is a wonderful coincidence that most of these projects are intimately tied in with water. In addition to the humid and rainy climate of Taiwan, Kuo postulates, “Maybe it’s that the presence of water is a factor in these places becoming parks.”
Water doesn’t have to be troublesome or scary; it can also be relatable and approachable, something that Kuo’s designs try to highlight. Crossing a broad grassy slope at Nanliao Fishing Harbor, we come to the “fish scale” staircase embedded in the shoreline; while, as the name implies, it resembles fish scales, these large steps are actually a seawall. However, whereas usually seawalls are imposing concrete walls flanked by massive tetrapod wavebreakers, this one is a beautiful gentle slope surrounded by large stones, creating a scene that blends seamlessly with the adjacent sea. “I had a long discussion with hydraulic engineers from Hsinchu about the slope angle of this embankment,” Kuo recalls. “I kept asking, ‘If we don’t make the slope more gentle, how will people get down?’” Fortunately, by reasoned argument she was able to win the engineers over to her side.
Around Beitou’s Thermal Valley, the river embankment made of large stones and the wooden railings echo the natural colors of the site, embodying a design inspired by nature.
The renovation of the Lon-En Canal Park in Hsinchu City, led by architect Huang Sheng-yuan, is known for its family-friendly design details and fantastical style.