Taiwan’s Future New Landmark Designed by Legendary Architect

By MOOK Scenic Spots Jun(e), compiled and reported

Spanning the mouth of Taiwan’s third-largest river, the Tamsui River, and featuring the second dual-use railway and road structure, the still-under-construction Tamsui River Bridge began its first phase of construction in 2014. The Tamsui sunset is a classic nostalgic spot for Taiwanese people and also one of the must-visit areas in Greater Taipei. Integrating the bridge design with the beauty of the sunset became a key challenge. In the 2015 international design competition, the proposal by Zaha Hadid, an Iraqi-British female architect, was selected as the winning design. Once completed, the Tamsui River Bridge will become the world’s largest single-tower cable-stayed bridge.

The late architect Zaha Hadid became the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004 and enjoys international acclaim in the architecture world. For many designers, her influence extends beyond architecture—she also represented the future possibilities admired by girls who were just beginning to explore the field of design. Her distinctive design concepts transcended gender and nationality. Zaha Hadid not only intersected with Taiwan through the Tamsui River Bridge project but also won the bid for the Taichung Guggenheim Museum project in 2004. Although it was ultimately not built, the project helped her earn the “Nobel Prize of Architecture,” the Pritzker Prize.