MATSU #46 26°08’18.0″N 119°55’24.8″E

⬤ 01. Challenges

Located on the southwestern side of the Beigan Island of Matsu, the site is a deserted military bunker. On one side is a main road that extends into the steep mountains, and on the other side is a bay surrounded by a rocky landscape. This bunker is located close to Beigan Airport and at the edge of a small village. It is a low-profile one-story building that houses an old artillery muzzle and a tank. Deep inside, the bunker leads to a narrow, dead-end tunnel.

Features of military facilities

Because of unique demands, the old bunker is an enclosed and concealed environment with few openings. Thus, its interior is dark and chilly. Because we wanted to enhance the characteristics and materials of this old building, the excavation of the wall was limited. Instead, we carefully introduced a limited amount of light as a natural light source for this dark space and maintained the obscurity and mysterious nature of the space. We also used the light to shape traffic flow and create new usage possibilities.

Features of natural landscape

We constructed a showroom for the old tank, a lobby for accommodation, a dark underground art exhibition space, and a digital virtual reality interactive room. In addition to retaining the original elements of the building, we introduced several heterogeneous elements. In contrast to the darkness of the space, the new elements symbolize a bright future and public participation as well as the convergence of the old and new building elements.

Features of community life

In terms of spatial use, we hope to create a mixed space with both public sections and partially hidden private sections. An example is building an open-air theater on top of the old building and scheduling irregular performances. The seats for the audience are backed against the mountain and facing the stage and the ocean. When no performances are held, visitors may enter the theater freely and use it as a platform for ocean viewing and stargazing.