Far Eastern Retail Complex_Commercial_Projects | KRIS YAO｜ARTECH

Located in the southeast corner of Taipei’s premium Xinyi Commercial District area, Xinyi A13 is closely connected to the adjacent corporate headquarters and shopping districts. Therefore, it was designed to be in dialog with the surrounding urban spaces, allowing the spatial experience of the commercial building to integrate with the street life of the city. Three direct-access escalators divide the floor levels according to the circulation of different customer groups, while spaces for outdoor terraces and plazas are provided around the site, allowing open-air greenery from the 1st floor, 4th floor, and even the 14th floor to link together shoppers and diners. In addition, large viewing windows on the higher floors have been included in coordination with the flow of space around the escalators and the waiting lobby of the cinema, allowing shoppers to locate themselves in the urban context, to observe the streetscape and green belt of the Xinyi Special District, and to enjoy the view of new buildings and urban designs emerging around them.

The exterior of the department store uses light and dark tones of silver as the main colors to symbolize technology and modernity; while drawing staggered expressions of several large square structures to represent the diversity of interior spatial functions. The recessed dark composite glass viewing windows strengthen the light-and-shadow effect on the façade design. The 4.5m high clear glass curtain wall on the ground floor creates a sense of continuity and transparency to the street. Fashion boutiques and trendy brands are found on the 1st to 7th floor of the department store, while the 4th floor is a dining floor with a 100-meter long glass tube space as the main spatial axis, containing themed restaurants and outdoor terraces. The cinema is from the 10th floor up to the 13th floor, while the rooftop restaurant on the 14th floor offers a unique view of the city.

The surrounding area of the site, the terraces, and the plaza on the southern end are covered with greenery, leaving a natural place for rest and leisure within the high-density urban space of the Xinyi Special District. The south-end plaza facing Songshou Road is occupied by Apple’s flagship store, which represents the department store’s focus on the emerging technology trend, as well as the goal and realization in building a truly international commercial complex.