The World’s Hardest Building to Construct: 3 Must-See Highlights of the National Taichung Theater
Photos and text byLiu Sixi
I first became interested in the National Taichung Theater because I admired the National Stadium in Kaohsiung (also known as the World Games Main Stadium), designed by Toyo Ito. Then, after seeing the design drawings, I was deeply impressed by its groundbreaking new architectural techniques that broke away from contemporary norms—so I couldn’t wait to visit. It is also a brand-new architectural landmark in Taichung, following the National Taiwan Library.
Designed by Japanese master architect Toyo Ito, who won the Pritzker Prize in 2013, the National Taichung Theater is internationally recognized by media outlet Reuters as the “Ninth New Landmark of the World” for its pioneering concept of the “Sound Cave.” It officially opened on November 23, 2014.
The other new global landmarks include One World Trade Center in New York City, USA; SeaOrbiter in the Atlantic Ocean; Tour First in Paris, France; Marilyn Monroe Towers in Canada; the Bridge at the International Expo Site in Spain; La Luz in Mexico; the Centre Pompidou-Metz in France; the Louis Vuitton Foundation in France; and the National Taichung Theater in Taiwan.
Beyond admiring the exterior, I was even more curious about the interior construction methods. I joined a guided tour that explained the theater’s building process from the outside in, offering a detailed and comprehensive understanding of its construction.
Three must-see features inside:
(1) Curved Wall Construction Technique
(2) Water Curtain Fire Protection Design
(3) Underground Air Conditioning & Under-Seat Ventilation (More details below)
The first two features have been awarded world patents for their construction methods.
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The National Taichung Theater tender was rejected five times before finally being awarded to Lih Ming Construction. The total project cost increased from NT$2 billion to NT$4.36 billion, with funding split equally between the central government and Taichung City.
According to the tour guide, Lih Ming Construction took on this “world’s hardest building to construct” to enhance its image, reputation, and credibility. Though reportedly losing money on the project, it became the flagship work celebrating the company’s 20th anniversary.
Toyo Ito’s theater proposal was initially rejected by Japan’s architectural circles, who claimed the column-free “curved wall” structure could never be built. Even top international architecture teams backed out—but proudly, Taiwan’s team pulled it off and earned worldwide patent recognition for the technique.
The Taichung Opera House and the expansive Xia Green Park in front form a unified ecological corridor. From the lawns of Xia Green Park, visitors can almost unknowingly walk into the opera house for a performance. Even the outdoor drainage channels extend into the building, naturally blending the interior and exterior spaces.
The opera house has two underground levels and six above-ground floors. The Grand Theater seats 2,014 (symbolizing its 2014 completion), the Medium Theater 800, and the Small Theater 200, along with dining spaces and a rooftop garden.
Toyo Ito believes that early humans lived in caves or earthen dwellings. Recalling his childhood hide-and-seek games when he’d duck into caves, he envisioned bringing people and buildings back to those primal, cave-like living spaces. This building represents his heartfelt desire to return to nature.
The building’s surface is covered with numerous holes, creating an interconnected, continuous space full of imagination—resembling ant nests underground, slices of cheese, intestinal passages, or even the openings of noses, eyes, and ears. Each hole seems to lead to a whimsical new world.
The construction of the National Opera House was extremely complex and difficult. There are 58 curved walls in total, each made up of 1,372 small components—all custom-made, impossible to mass-produce, requiring precise calculations for this massive project to create the fluid, cave-like landscape.
%The first part of the project that was completed was the underground section of the cave-like area.%
%This was actually the initial conceptual model of the structure.%
Lih Ming Construction had never built a curved wall structure before—a globally unique technique. To study the structure of the 58 curved wall units and understand how to pour reinforced concrete, they spent NT$5 million to successfully build a model. Only after careful approval by Toyo Ito did construction on the opera house begin.
The National Opera House is also known asthe “Sound Cave (Sound Cave)”Simply put, it means "bouncing off caves," featuring a unique curved-wall construction technique. Everywhere you look, there are only flowing arcs and extended curves, with almost no 90-degree angles. The column-free and wall-less structure represents an entirely new spatial form in architectural history.
% No one has discovered yet that the back of the lobby has a hidden secret,
This is the "drainage hole" on the sixth-floor sky garden. In case of severe flooding when water builds up, there are large pipes designed inside the curved walls, and this opening serves as the drainage outlet.
So how does the National Taichung Theater prevent fires? With no interior walls or columns, traditional firefighting equipment can't be installed. So Toyo Ito developed a one-of-a-kind "water curtain fire suppression" system, with carefully designed nozzles that spray a 170-degree water curtain, earning international patent recognition.
The most unique feature of the National Taichung Theater is that it has "no air conditioning." Beneath the granite floor tiles you walk on lies a layer of water-radiant piping. These winding pipes cover every area, and instead of using air conditioning, the space maintains comfort through the coolness from underground. No matter where you go, you won’t feel stuffy due to lack of airflow.
At the main entrance, because the glass is highly transparent, vents are installed on the ground to enhance ventilation during prolonged sunlight exposure.
The air conditioning system in the grand theater is also special, being designed under the seats. When you enter the theater and sit down, the air conditioning activates automatically, with air blowing upward from beneath the seats. Toyo Ito went to great lengths to find the right cushion material—it had to be highly breathable. In the end, the inner base of the seat features multiple layers of silk, revolutionizing the materials used in seating across Taiwan.
% In the evening, from 7-9 PM, soft lights will illuminate, and 400 lightweight beams will sway gently in the wind.
The small theater is also known as a "black box," capable of creating a completely dark space. Toyo Ito made a special design allowing the indoor theater to connect with the outdoor courtyard, transforming it into an open-air performance space.
% On the second floor, you can further appreciate the ingenuity of the architectural design.
% Here, you can enjoy a cup of coffee, spend an afternoon, and experience a lot of open space.
After gaining an in-depth understanding of the opera house, I was deeply moved by Toyo Ito’s precision and meticulous design. Taichung finally has an architectural gem to be proud of—one that embraces both people and the environment, as if cells are naturally releasing and breathing, nourished fully in its gentle flow.
Taiwan’s largest light projection show to date, “3D Light Night,” took place on the evenings of November 21 and 22 at 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 PM. The National Taichung Theater was illuminated stroke by stroke with light animation, with the projections divided into three major themes: “Nature. Geometry. Innovation.”
After the light show, the opera house turned into a magical theater—simply stunning. It was delightful to enjoy such a refined and enchanting performance. Half of Taichung must have shown up—it felt like coming to a Taiwanese lantern festival.
% Add photos of the 3D Light Night
Visit Date: November 10, 2014
National Taichung Theater
Phone: (04)2251-9490
Address: No. 101, Section 2, Huilai Road, West District, Taichung City
By Car: Exit at Taichung Interchange on Zhongshan Highway, connect to Provincial Highway 12 (Taiwan Boulevard), turn onto Henan Road, then turn onto Civic Boulevard North 2nd Road to arrive.
% For TRA, get off at the “Shin Kong/Far Eastern” station, walk about 5–8 minutes. Head toward the back of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, located at the intersection of Section 2, Huilai Road and Civic Boulevard North 2nd Road..
% For buses, take routes 50, 69, or 75, and get off at the “National Taichung Theater” stop.
% Tips for visiting
※ This article is excerpted from the blog “A Child’s Heart Ventures into the World.” For the full article, click here>>>[New Landmark in Taichung – National Opera House] Go behind the scenes for an exclusive tour ! Witness the world’s most challenging building to construct, and step into Toyo Ito’s mysterious cave-like structure
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