A performance-led cultural hub designed to celebrate the full spectrum of Taiwan’s pop music industry.

A Transparent Framework for Music Production and Cultural Exchange

CLOU architects’ competition entry for the Taipei Pop Music Center proposes a design that celebrates the diverse ecosystem of Taiwan’s popular music scene. Located in Nangang, Taipei, the 70,200 square metre centre brings together performance, production, and public engagement in a campus that reflects both the institutional and informal forces shaping contemporary pop music.

Strategic Urban Approach

The site is split between two parcels, separated by a six-metre-wide road. Instead of relying on heavy infrastructure or monumental gestures to bridge the gap, the proposal employs an implied connection through careful geometric alignment and spatial choreography. The buildings on each parcel are positioned to suggest continuity, while a shared landscape and public plaza serve as a unifying element. This approach maintains permeability while clearly articulating the urban fabric of the centre.

Landscape as Cultural Infrastructure

Beyond functioning as connective tissue, the landscape is conceived as a performative space in its own right. Integrated with outdoor amphitheatres, ecological features, and exhibition areas, the public realm is designed to host informal encounters and events. The ambition is not only to minimise environmental impact, but also to generate cultural value through participation and interaction.

Architecture for a Collaborative Industry

The architecture reflects the multi-layered nature of Taiwan’s pop music industry, which places equal value on performers, producers, lyricists, and composers. The Hall of Fame, offices, and recording studios are arranged as open, transparent elements to reveal the inner workings of the industry. These spaces are not only places of work but also places of learning, intended to engage the public with the processes behind music production.

A Dual Performance Arena

The proposal features a distinctive structural move: the 4,500–6,000 seat indoor theatre is elevated above the 15,000-capacity outdoor venue, creating a unified vertical composition. This strategy minimises site coverage while providing shelter to the open-air stage, creating layered conditions for simultaneous or independent performances. The theatre above acts as a clear signifier of the project’s purpose: to promote and host live music.

CLOU architects’ design responds to the inherent contradictions in institutionalising a culture that thrives on flux and reinvention. By balancing structured production facilities with open-ended public space, the Taipei Pop Music Center is imagined as a living, evolving environment—capable of supporting future generations of musical innovation.