Also rising to the challenge set forth by the Taichung city government for a new cultural centre, Form4 proposed a series of rounded volumes – chiefly a 10-storey library, ascended via a grand staircase, and a horizontal museum – in conversation with each other. Together, they resemble giant eggs rolling along the landscape, their curved building envelopes encased in a metre-thick cavity wall fitted with movable louvres, providing passive ventilation and ample surface area for solar panels. For the architects, the iconic shapes symbolize “a portal into heightened consciousness, a lantern of knowledge, a cultural lung for the city.” form4inc.com

Location: Taichung, Taiwan
Firm: Form4 Architecture, San Francisco
Team: John Marx with Felix Lin and Pierluigi Serraino