Mei-Fang, Kuo
National Cheng Kung University Museum
Tainan, Taiwan
Dr. Mei-Fang Kuo received Ph.D. in Architecture History and Theory from National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in 2007, and has worked at the University Museum since then. She is currently associate curator.
Based on these studies, has completed more than 16 exhibitions. Two of these are international cooperation -- with the Museum of Asian Art, University of Malaya; and with three major museums in the Czech Republic. This exhibition had won the second place of UMAC AWARD 2017.
She had worked as assistant curator at National Museum of Natural Sciences (NMNS), Taiwan from 1986 to 1993. she had been involved and in charge of the permanent exhibition of the NMNS Phase Ⅲ exhibition Hall. She also led the project of studying and reconstruction of the “Astronomical Water Clock”. Which has become the major exhibition item in NMNS.
Since joining NCKUM, Dr. Kuo has been responsible for a variety of research and exhibition projects and collections. She is currently associate curator, and offer few courses including “Method and Theory in Museology”, “Introduction to Museology”, “Guiding to Tainan history and landscape”.
Her research interests include museum architecture and exhibition, cultural heritage, Taiwan aboriginal architecture, and traditional Chinese architecture.
The Development and Transformation in Building Form of the Museums in Taiwan
Formerly known as Formosa, Taiwan entered the international scene as a commercial outpost by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1624. However, it wasn't until 1895, during the Japanese Colonial Period, that museums began to emerge. From the earliest to the most recent, the architectural appearance of Taiwanese museums has undergone significant changes during this brief century.
In summary, the transformation of museum architecture form in Taiwan is influenced by the changes in social and cultural values, and be dated into periods as follows:
- Japanese Colonial Period: Reusing buildings of Taiwanese Han-style architecture, such as temples and countryman association building, as museum space, as seen from the Tainan City Museum and the Yenshui Octagonal Building. Later, museums were built in styles inspired by architecture from the West, such as the National Taiwan Museum.
- After WW2, before the 1990s: New museum buildings were constructed with facades reflecting the Chinese Palace Architectural Style, with modern interior layouts, such as the National Museum of History.
- The 1980s: National museums flourished during this decade marking Taiwan’s economic boom, by extensively adopting Western modern architectural styles, such as the National Museum of Natural Science.
- The 1990s: The rise of conservation and rejuvenation of historical sites and heritage, such as the Fort Santo Domingo as a historical museum in Tamsui.
- The 2000s: New museums starring renowned architects both foreign and local, sparking collaborative efforts:
- Taiwanese architects: Lanyang Museum designed by architect Kris Yao.
- Foreign architects: Asia University Museum of Modern Art designed by architect Tadao Ando.
- Collaborations: Museum of National Taipei University of Education by architects Zhih-Hao Jiang, NOIZ Architects (Taiwan), and Keisuke Toyoda (Japan).
This paper attempts to summarize the transformation of architectural forms in Taiwan's museums over the past century since the establishment of museums.
Museum Architecture, Building form/ Style, Transformation, Changing Era