Even though we live in an ever changing world, buildings will always be a basic human need. As part of our collective memory there necessity goes way beyond monetary values. Off course in the process of growing and changing, destroying and building will always be necessary as it has always been part of our development for thousands of years. However in a continuously globalizing and diverting world, local culture, differences, and identity are getting more and more important again. This could especially be said when talking about Taiwan. The islands history is strongly influenced by different oppressors and cultures. Fighting for and defining its own sovereignty has been a struggle for much longer then only the last decades. What does it mean to be Taiwanese? How does that look like?
This process simply cannot be done without confronting its past through the very medium that is shaping and representing our city’s and lives. Taiwan’s existing structures tell stories of oppression, domination, and inequality but also of economical wonders, optimism, the will to live in democracy and freedom, and the dreams and believe of many that also they will make it someday. It’s a chaos that in many ways represents Taiwanese emotions and struggles. There needs to be a radical change in architectonic thinking and methodology in order to be able to create a feasible architecture for Taiwan’s future but also to face and develop an attitude towards its existing structures. Turning a few old buildings into museums shows a dangerously oversimplified solution to a deep and extremely complex situation that Taiwan will not be able to ignore if it wants to grow and develop as an independent and self-confident nation.

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