Building Type: Ferry Terminal
Status: Competition Entry, “ Port of Kinmen Passenger Service Center Planning, Design and Construction Supervision Service Project”
Area: 42,480 m2
Site: Kinmen Island, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Year: 2014
Kinmen island is located 190 km west of the Taiwain Island, and mere 2.3 km offshore to the Mainland China. Since relocation of the Nationalist Government to Taiwan in 1949, Kinmen became a battleground for military confrontation between the Communists and Nationalists.
The proposed ferry terminal possesses a dynamic yet gracious silhouette inspired by the traditional swallowtail roof, a vernacular architectural form of the Kinmen Island. Creating this terminal where different nations can pass freely, like that of migratory birds, is meant to embody the spirit of new beginnings of China and Taiwan’s geopolitical landscape.
A proposed ascending promenade connects the vegetated roof and the Park Avenue, which is planned as part of a waterfront development master plan. This walkway also links pedestrian from a nearby duty-free mall and an International Convention/Exhibit Center.Toward the center of the building the roof sweeps up, like that of a swallowtail, offering a surface for PV panels to be fitted.
The interior of the terminal is one large open space defined by a hovering grand roof. Space between the arrival / departure lobby and waiting lounge is connected by ramps, offering a continuous travel experience.
The undulating roof is constructed in space frame structure which allows for longer spans, thus providing uninterrupted magnificent interior volume for the terminal as well as giving the terminal a sense of lightness & graciousness. An interstitial space created within the triangulated structure houses ducts, pipes, and mechanical equipment. The roof is supported by rows of diagonally braced structural trees along East-West, spaced 17.5m on center. The trees rest on piles and grade beams.
The roof itself has trans-formative properties from its mere weather protection and figurative presence to a multi-functional bioclimatic roofscape linking cityscape and seascape, structure and ecology, past and future, China and Taiwan. The proposed design is a functional metaphor for a visionary future, where boundaries fade and mutually beneficial interactions replace a history of confrontation.
The restaurant and café are located at mezzanine level so as to be visually accessible of both the arrival & departure lounge and the boarding and disembarking sequences.
Nestled underneath the peak of the roof is a restaurant and cafe, offering patrons dramatic views of the terminal bustle below and the contrasting sea abyss beyond. Enhancing visitors' access to leisure activities and accentuating the waterfront relationship intensifies the experience from a mere transportation hub to a memorable destination.
The grand roof is designed sensitive to its essential necessity to strategically shade from the harsh subtropical summer daylight, while maintaining visual transparency of the exterior façade. Space within the roof may be ventilated to emit excess heat accumulated during summer, while the air pocket acts as a thermal blanket during winter. Vegetation on the roof will further contribute to protecting the interior from drastic temperature changes during the extreme seasons. PV panels installed at the peak of the roof supplement the electricity load used within the facility.