Smart design
U-mkt’s avant-garde hoof shape is a rarity among Taiwan’s public markets. Built primarily from reinforced brickwork, its exterior walls have a pebbledash surface, which gives it a clean, utilitarian look. The building has a high ceiling and many horizontal pivot windows, and the hoof shape allows shoppers to flow effortlessly through the stalls, while its unique central light well provides natural lighting and aids ventilation. Sharp-eyed shoppers approaching the market’s north side from Shanshui Street will note the decorative swirls above the gable, as well as Taipei’s original city logo. Inside, concrete roof beams radiating out from a central point and a wooden sliding door scorched black by fire create an interesting spatial dialogue with the bright, new dining area.
As what was then the first modern market to comply with new hygiene policies, U-mkt had a specially designed drainage system: the roof slopes towards the central light well, directing rainfall into a U-shaped gutter along the top edge of the well. From there, downspouts lead the water to a drainage system under the floor. This system for routing the rainwater “inward” happens to echo the Taiwanese view that “gathering water together generates wealth.”
“We’re facing a big issue: our nostalgia is growing continuously, but memories of the things we are nostalgic for are fading. Caught between nostalgia and forgetting, how do we feasibly integrate this historical space into the contemporary social environment?” So wonders Michael Lin, the architect responsible for repurposing the market’s interior. To minimize any possibility of damage to the historic building, he used only materials and techniques that could be reversed, creating removable lightweight wooden structures and keeping new flooring and room dividers separated from the surfaces of the original floor and walls. While the original structure has a hulking feel to it, Lin’s addition of warm pine, translucent panels, and glass to the space have given the building a visual elegance. He has also created clear divisions between work, activity, dining, and viewing spaces.
In the old days, the market had more butchers than any other type of vendor. Because they needed to hang meat, their stalls generally consisted of a wooden structure atop a concrete base. Fortunately, two of these Japanese-era stalls have been preserved. Now decorated with creative and cultural objects, the stalls help visitors imagine the butchers of yore hawking their products from within.
After you’ve completed your tour of the building, remember to check out the carefully preserved Japanese-style wooden office and dormitory that still stand to the northeast of the market. Built for the market’s caretakers, they too offer a record of the market’s history.
Two of the old market’s Japanese-era stalls have been preserved, helping visitors picture the butchers of yore hawking their products from within.