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"Renovation and Expansion Project for the Main Building Area of the National Palace Museum" Groundbreaking Ceremony
 
Press Release
02/18/2004
Construction on the National Palace Museum's main building, a familiar sight to many, was begun in March of 1964 and completed in August of the following year. Later, after two remodelings in 1967 and 1970, it became the building seen today. The present structure, though serving countless visitors domestic and international as well as becoming a part of the public's collective memory, has suffered from shortages of space (public and display) and deficiencies of design in the face of ever rising numbers of visitors and standards among international museums. The problems that confront the present building include, 1) confusion to the order of viewing displays and the exhibition areas, 2) excessive crowding in the exhibition areas without clear distinction between display areas, 3) stairways that are too narrow and steep by contemporary norms, presenting inconvenience to the elderly and physically challenged, and 4) limited space for educational purposes. These and other issues need to be addressed in order to bring the Museum's main building into the 21st century.
Despite the inconvenience it may bring to some visitors, the National Palace Museum is resolved to addressing these problems by proceeding with the "Renovation and Expansion Project for the Main Building Area". Remodeling construction, in addition to improving earthquake resistance measures, is intended to focus on the following target areas:
I. Improving the Public Spaces of the Main Building
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A.
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Expansion of the Lobby Area |
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The original scope of the entrance hall and the plaza in front of the main building will be expanded outwards and combined with the arched passageways of the two side porticos to create a large lobby area. This additional space will include a "Multipurpose Multimedia Presentation Room" for more than 130 people, a lobby area accommodating approximately 300 people, and areas for public facilities. Completion of this project will considerably increase the floor area of various functions and services.
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B.
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Adjustment of the Public Areas |
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Public areas for sales, service, rest, and waiting will be centralized. The sales area on the third floor will be moved to the East Wing, while the ticket counter, information desk, and service areas will be reoriented to face the public so that a spacious and comfortable space will be maintained during peak visit periods.
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C.
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Expansion of the Outdoor Plaza |
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This expansion project, in addition to solving the vehicular and pedestrian congestion in the plaza in front of the main building by redirecting vehicles, will also see the increase in size of the plaza outside on the second floor. The result will be areas in front of the main building where people can walk and mill about, creating open spaces from vehicular traffic.
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D.
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Addition of a Glass Atrium Roof |
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Restoring the atrium in the original layout of the building, a glass ceiling will be added for natural lighting of the first floor display area. The naturally lit atrium will also provide ambient lighting for the rest corridors connecting the exhibition halls on each floor, making the surroundings more appealing and natural as well as serving as a focus for distinguishing the east and west wings of the building.
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II. Adjustment of Exhibition Viewing
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A.
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Improvement of Vertical Movement |
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The ceiling of the entrance hall (corresponding to the floor of the area in front of the statue of Dr. Sun Yat-sen on the second floor) will be removed to create a continuous space from the first to third floors. A large stairway 13 meters across will be added to facilitate the movement of large numbers of visitors in the building from the first to the second floors.
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B.
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Improvement of Horizontal Movement |
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By centralizing the public facilities, the exhibition space will also be readjusted, making passage and flow on the same floor even smoother.
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III. Improvements to the Surroundings of the Main Building
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A.
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A tunnel passageway for vehicular traffic will be constructed under the front of the main building with a stopping area for the discharge of passengers in the event of rain. Escalators will bring visitors directly up to the lobby on the main floor. |
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B.
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Trees will be planted to conceal the flow of traffic and maintain an aesthetically appealing facade for the building. |
Planning, design, and supervision of this project will be conducted by the "Row Shin-Hwa Architect Office" and construction handled by the "Ta Chen Construction & Engineering Corporation". "Haigo Shen & Partners, Architects & Engineers" will serve as managers.
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