What is it like to step inside an artwork? The Paul Chiang Art Center is set to open on March 15. This unique space integrates nature, art, and architecture, designed collaboratively by artist Paul Chiang and architect Michael Lin, who practices in both Taiwan and Germany. Local architectural coordination was led by Wen-Rong Huang, and the final construction was carried out by Chair Ming-Bin Liao of Fuguach Architecture. Through the dialogue between Chiang and Lin, we offer you an exclusive preview of the art center before its grand opening.
Between Engagement and Solitude, Between Freedom and Constraint
“Every creator needs a quiet space, a place where no one criticizes, where time can be consumed in silence, allowing for meditation and self-reflection,” says architect Lin, recalling his first consideration when taking on the project. As an artist, Chiang embraces solitude as his preferred state. Yet, residing within the Paul Chiang Art Center, which is set to open to the public, he inevitably carries the mission of engaging with the world.
How to Find Balance Between Engagement and Solitude? Architect Lin couldn’t help but ask himself, “I could, of course, design a beautiful art center for visitors, but will the artist truly be able to continue creating inside?” This was the first challenge he faced, and the one that brought him the most pressure.
The second challenge stemmed from Chiang’s artistic nature. Over the past 60 years, his works have rarely entered the art market; his creative process has never been dictated by the need to sell, allowing him a remarkable degree of freedom and purity. “I really envy the creative freedom that Paul Chiang has… As an architect, I experience far more constraints than he does,” Lin reflects. How does one collaborate with such a free-spirited creator while navigating the inherent restrictions of architecture? This became the second major challenge for Lin.
The art center’s site is not vast and features gentle slopes. Typically, maximizing architectural potential requires large, flat land. However, the unique terrain of the site became a source of inspiration for Chiang and the architectural team. “We worked hard to turn limitations into advantages, designing five small-scale structures that follow the natural contours of the Coastal Mountain Range, blending seamlessly into the environment,” Chiang shared.
“In recent years, my creative process has also come with various constraints,” he reflected. “As I grow older, I find myself less attached to traditional artistic materials, instead learning to work more flexibly with the conditions at hand. This approach has given me a sense of creative freedom like never before.”
Architect Lin added, “I’m fortunate that Paul Chiang once worked in interior design during his youth, giving him a profound understanding of space.” Their mutual trust and openness were essential in bringing this successful collaboration to life.
Change of Heart
The art center’s design follows the natural slope of the land, starting from the reception center (Kung-Yuan Reception Center) at the entrance, the sharply pointed third gallery (Cheng-Han Gallery) reminiscent of a chapel, the main guesthouse with the most expansive view (Dreamers Pavilion), and the first and second galleries (Shinyi Gallery and Chenbro Gallery) flanking the Serenity Pond. Each building has its own unique form. “Every gallery here, every window opening, every way that light enters – none of them are exactly the same,” shares Fumio Nanjo, the curator for the art center’s inaugural exhibition, who has visited multiple times and praised the architectural design. Unlike the typical white-box galleries of most museums, this space offers a completely different experience. But why does the art center’s architecture vary so much in form?
“For example, the Chenbro Gallery was originally Paul Chiang’s old studio – it didn’t have to be redesigned to match the rest of the art center.” Each building is Lin’s architectural response to Chiang’s creative journey. The function and form of the structures are shaped by Chiang’s emotions and thoughts, making them his ‘change of heart.’ While the architectural styles are diverse, they all share a natural colour palette with exposed concrete, corten steel, and surrounding trees and water features creating a harmonious atmosphere.
Nature, A Friendship with Time
The art center’s iconic Serenity Pond offers a view that evolves with time. The scenery framed by the windows shifts as the surrounding landscape changes, influenced by the growth of trees and the passing of seasons. Yet, Chiang remains unfazed, “Change is natural; we don’t need to control it. The cycles of the seasons, the shifting wind and rain – these are all part of life.”
The Kung-Yuan Reception Center and Cheng-Han Gallery stand like two massive boulders thrust from the sea onto the mountainside. Architect Lin favours natural, unembellished materials, believing that concrete records the traces of time. This simple and pure approach allows the architecture to seamlessly blend with its surroundings.
“Simple materials carry many stories within them, but overall, they still appear quite simple. The architecture of this art center is like that.” – Paul Chiang
The Cheng-Han Gallery’s exterior walls are made of corten steel and exposed concrete. The brick-red hue of the corten steel, along with its porous texture, will develop a unique patina over time. Regarding the changes in the corten steel, Chiang remarked, “Corten steel is like a person’s life, it goes through different stages. I don’t expect each stage to be beautiful – people age after 70 or 80.” Architect Lin responded, “You are still very beautiful.” Chiang smiled and replied, “It’s like people. When it’s time to wither, you wither. When it’s time to corrode, it will naturally corrode.” The uniqueness of the Cheng-Han Gallery lies not only in the architectural materials but also in Chiang’s philosophy on life. He even calls it the work that best captures the essence of his creations.
Walking into Paul Chiang’s “Farm House”
The prototype for the Cheng-Han Gallery comes from one of Chiang’s sculptures, “Farm House”. Many years ago, architect Lin saw “Farm House” in Chiang’s studio and thought, “Perhaps we can transform this into a building!” Thus, the concept for the entire art center was born. Chiang proposed two key design ideas. First, he wanted the gallery space to be slightly dimmed with a quiet atmosphere to echo the spiritual works that would be displayed. Second, even though the gallery is located at a higher point in the park with expansive views of the ocean, Chiang intentionally lowered the entrance height to draw attention inward, creating a monastic-like serenity and encouraging visitors to explore and reflect on the resonance between art and architecture.
Architect Lin shared, “When I was still studying, I had a teacher from Spain. Whether designing churches or interior spaces, his creations were influenced by Eduardo Chillida’s sculptures. When designing the Cheng-Han Gallery, I tried to inject the energy of ‘Farm House’ into the architecture, as if recreating a new space within Chiang’s work.”
“Chiang’s sculpture was originally a complete form, and I needed to create windows and hollow out spaces for the building. The thickness of the walls had to maintain a certain weight. The treatment of corten steel had to reflect the sculpture’s original sharpness and form – the lines, angles, and proportions were critical. A deviation of just 0.8 or 3 degrees could disrupt the entire composition.” Through careful light manipulation, material choices, and spatial proportions, the architect successfully created a gallery space that is both quiet and full of power, allowing visitors to not only appreciate the works but also experience the profound meaning embedded in the architecture itself.
The influence of sculptors on architects is profound. Richard Serra, Eduardo Chillida, and Alberto Giacometti, among others, have inspired architects’ thinking about space. The temporal quality found in these masters’ works led architects to consider not just spatial scale and proportion, but also the interaction between space and time. The slanted roof design of the Cheng-Han Gallery echoes the diagonal lines of “Farm House,” while the blank spaces inside remind one of the loneliness emanating from Chiang’s idol Giacometti’s sculptures of figures.
The Impact of Precision in Design
“Paul Chiang’s sculptures are almost perfect from every angle, but when adjustments are needed, such as when the stairs need to be widened by 3 centimeters, the proportions are broken. It’s like finding a perfect stone on the beach, you know it shouldn’t be altered, yet you must change it for functional reasons.” — Michael Lin
Every time Chiang steps into this building, which has an interior height of 16 meters, even before the artwork is installed, he can still feel the immense power emanating from the space. As light enters through carefully planned windows, every change in the light is a fleeting moment.
On the corten steel walls, there are stainless steel words such as “Love,” “Compassion,” “Peace,” “Humanity,” and “Hope.” They resemble a group of birds, lightly landing on the roof. As the sunlight shifts throughout the day, the shadows of the words intertwine with the rust patterns on the corten steel. These words carry Chiang’s profound care for humanity and his sincere wish for peace, as if softly whispering and chanting in silence. “In human history, the power of words is truly great. I hope these words help calm the hearts of everyone who enters this gallery, bringing them a bit of strength.”
Not Looking at the Sea, but Looking Inward; Serenity Pond and the Window View
Some may wonder why the seaside art center doesn’t have an observation deck. Chiang explained, “Step outside the park, and the beauty of the Pacific Ocean is at your fingertips, but what we hope to offer is a unique viewing experience.” By framing the ocean view through windows, the limited perspective encourages a deeper imagination of nature.
The initial design of the Serenity Pond only included a surrounding wall and a water basin. Chiang repeatedly adjusted the size and position of the windows, ultimately finding a proportion suitable for the height of all viewers. This allowed both children and adults to comfortably view the sea, while also creating a deep and peaceful atmosphere for contemplation. Architect Lin said, “We wanted to create an ‘oxymoron’ within the architecture through the use of light, distance, and scale. Just like this Serenity Pond, it is part of the real world, yet also an independent place for meditation.” Now, when Chiang is tired from work or has a break, he sits here. Sometimes, swallows come to play, their light forms darting across the water’s surface, bringing him great pleasure. This space provides Chiang with a quiet corner for rest.
Collaborative Dignity
When asked about the collaboration process with Chiang, Architect Lin said, “In my collaboration with Chiang, we constantly propose ideas. The happiest part for me is, he adds a bit, I take away a bit; I add a bit, and he takes away a bit – like brushstrokes on a canvas, adjusting little by little. I never wipe away his work, and he also feels that some parts can be further adjusted by me... It’s a process that allows me to make mistakes, and in the end, our joint decisions become excellent choices. This mutual respect and co-creation model have built trust between us.”
“In fact, there are many aspects of Lin’s work that are closely related to my own artistic creations. There are many internal connections. He is an architect, and I create on canvases.” – Paul Chiang
“I use exposed concrete extensively in my designs because it truly represents the essence of the architecture,” said Architect Lin. “The texture of exposed concrete reveals the material’s original qualities and retains traces of the construction process. Every subtle difference is like a fingerprint left by the craftsmen on the building, and this sense of authenticity allows us to see the story of collaboration in architecture.” Exposed concrete makes the collaborative process visible and transparent.
Architect Lin is particularly grateful to Chair Liao. It was due to Chair Liao’s understanding of exposed concrete and his superb construction skills that the exposed concrete walls of the art center were presented with such fine texture and quality. At the same time, he also expressed gratitude to The Alliance Cultural Foundation Chair Stanley Yen for his support. Chair Yen not only provided resources but also supported them in creating freely without constraints.
Chiang recalls a moment when he saw the morning light pour in, and to this day, he still cannot hide his excitement, “When I saw the morning sunlight shining on the corrugated panels of the studio, that scene was truly beautiful! I told my wife, Claire, this is something you may not find anywhere else in the world, and it’s the best feeling.”
The Paul Chiang Art Center is the most complete artistic creation of Chiang’s life. Thanks to the generous support of several entrepreneurs, the art center was made possible. To show gratitude, the buildings in the art center are named after the entrepreneurs, their companies, and their children.
Starting from March 15, we sincerely invite you to visit the Paul Chiang Art Center and experience the artistic journey of beauty and spiritual purification.
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