Shining Green Architecture: The Century Eco-Ark :: Pop-Up Pavilion

Can houses be built with plastic bottles?! The Pop-Up Pavilion in Yuanshan Park of the Taipei Flower Expo boldly used over 1.52 million recycled “PET bottles” to create more than 300,000 hexagonal air-pocket plastic bricks. Not only lightweight and sturdy, these materials have passed tests for earthquakes and typhoons — making this the world’s first green building built from PET bottles.

If you’re intrigued by this Transformer-like architectural marvel, guided tours are available. Each group accommodates around 30 people, with a new tour departing every 5 minutes. Visitors can ascend from the waterside “Green Wall Corridor” directly to the second-floor “Observation Deck,” which offers a panoramic view of the entire pavilion. Additionally, the captivating “Dream Capsule” combines recycled bottles with multimedia and art installations. Using mirrored reflections and the traditional Chinese garden techniques of “framed view” and “borrowed scenery,” it creates an ever-shifting, surreal visual space with PET installations.

The Pop-Up Pavilion also serves as a venue for fashion shows and cultural performances. In the lofty “Meditation Room” on the second floor, the “Flower Time Creative Fashion Exhibition” by renowned local designer Kang Yanling is on display. Each hand-tailored outfit ingeniously employs various eco-friendly materials, reflecting deep thought on the environment and femininity. The garments, each averaging 250 cm in height, are elaborately designed and hailed as a fantastical visual feast on par with “Avatar”!