National Taiwan Museum Backs Out of Accepting Historic Taipei Workshop, Which Has Been Hidden from View for 7 Years

After being relocated and moved back to its original site, the historic Taipei Workshop is now covered by an iron shed, with steel frames inside supporting the structure. However, no progress has been made in its subsequent revitalization, leaving it unused and hidden away for five years. (Photo by Chen Yanheng)

The city-designated historic site “Taipei Workshop,” once a train repair facility, was moved 30 meters and then returned to its original location. The Taipei City Department of Rapid Transit Systems had originally reached an agreement with the National Taiwan Museum to hand it over for integration into the overall planning of the Railway Ministry Park. Unexpectedly, the museum later claimed insufficient funding and has still not taken it over. The century-old heritage site has remained idle for over five years, shrouded in metal sheeting and hidden from sunlight. On the 25th, cultural heritage committee members conducted an on-site inspection and demanded a revitalization and reuse plan within six months.

The Taipei Workshop is located on the west side of Taipei Main Station, adjacent to Beimen Metro Station. Built in 1910, it served as a train repair factory during the Japanese colonial period. After the war, the Taiwan Railways Administration converted the building into an auditorium. Its exterior features a brick arch construction with distinctive gable walls. Inside, steel roof trusses provide large-span spaces, showcasing the historical development of Taiwan’s railways.

To accommodate the construction of Beimen Metro Station, in 1997 the transit authority employed relocation techniques to move the thousand-ton Taipei Workshop 30 meters southeast—the first such relocation of a historic site in Taipei. It took five years to move it back to its original site. Currently, the building is covered by an iron shed, with steel frames inside supporting the structure. It has been unused since 2012, and no progress has been made in its restoration or reuse.

At today’s on-site inspection, Cultural Affairs Bureau members commented that the century-old heritage site has been left unrenovated for so long that even the reinforcing steel base plates and welding points have rusted, a worrying sight. Committee member Tsai Yuanliang also said that the adjacent Railway Ministry Park has already been well planned, and the Taipei Workshop cannot remain idle indefinitely—public perception would be poor.

A representative from the Taipei City Department of Rapid Transit Systems’ Zhongzheng Construction Office, which owns the property, said helplessly that the transit authority and the museum had agreed in 2010 that after relocation, the museum would purchase the building and incorporate it into the surrounding Railway Ministry Park plans. But the museum later claimed it had no budget, asking the city government for free use, and then even said it couldn’t handle even that. In essence, they were hoping for a city subsidy to cover revitalization costs. The department has held multiple meetings, but there is still no consensus between the two sides.

Finally, Deputy Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau Tian Wei made a resolution: regardless of the communication process with the museum, the transit authority, as the current owner of the building, must still ensure proper management and maintenance. It is required to propose a restoration and reuse plan within six months and is responsible for convening relevant units to discuss the matter.