the edge of taipei: mapping the south airport apartment

the edge of taipei: mapping the south airport apartment
all images courtesy of edgeman

‘the government in taiwan is always destructing buildings and to construct something new that has no meaning to our society. maybe the best way is to use existing structures and redefine them in ways that give back to the people that live there.’ this is a statement made by edgeman, a group that has rejuvenated spaces within the country’s iconic south airport apartment. the complex was erected in 1976 with 2972 units composed by 11 rows of five-storey reinforced brick blocks. the community that once inhabited its rooms included the families of veterans, rural immigrants, and single parents. in addition, at one point in time it hosted a large public market at night and local religious shrines. as the size of the average household grew to five or six occupants, the interior spaces could no longer meet their needs.

the apartment once held families within its 2972 units

the apartment has five entrances

view of one of the courtyards

today, some of the tenants still live in their original residences while signs are no longer legible and walls are decrepit. with this knowledge, the creators have installed four sculptures called ‘meta lights’ that bring life to some of the apartment’s public areas. to help their cause, they have held a party where residents and citizens from the surrounding neighborhood could once again feel a sense of community. everyone involved was able to enjoy food, engage in conversations, and listen to music while taiwanese artists decorated walls of the abandoned space.

light sculptures in basement to illuminate the space

concept of sculpture is to describe the situation of south airport apartment

some of the original residents still do what they’ve always done at the apartments

the space is still able to hold community events

residents and locals come together to enjoy the space once again

the now-abandoned basement used to be a traditional market

at its peak, the market held 150 vendor booths

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.