TAO ZHU YIN YUAN, TAIPEI, TAIWAN

Tao Zhu Yin Yuan, Taipei, Taiwan (HA 28571) by HA Studio

Lego Builder and Designer: David Huynh

Photograph: David Huynh

City: Taipei, Xinyi District

Country: Taiwan

Year: 2021

H.A Studio @huynh_arch_studio

The measure of Tao Zhu Yin Yuan

Height: 12.5in / 317.5mm

Width: 6.8in / 172.72mm

Depth: 8.1in / 205.74mm

Design Concept

My Taipei skyline in 2020 opened the way for developing my new lego project in 2021 which is Tao Zhu Yin Yuan, also known as Agora Garden. In 2020, Tao Zhu Yin Yuan is just a tiny landscape building closed to Taipei 101 in the Taipei skyline. I picked and scaled it up to become a big scale model with Lego bricks. On the other hand, I'm looking at the Green Architecture residential high-rise building in Taipei city, which meets standards with quite a special and unique structure, and sustainable design. The tower of white will be the main key emphasized the Green Architecture on the horizontal line in Taiwan as well as Lego architecture.

Tao Zhu Yin Yuan 

Rising to a height of 93.2 m (305 ft), Tao Zhu Yin Yuan also known as Agora Garden Tower in Taipei, Taiwan, designed by architect Vincent Callebaut. Tao Zhu Yin Yuan is one of Taipei’s most architecturally unique and prominent residential buildings. It consists of 21 floors (plus four basement levels) and is defined by an unusual twisting design inspired by the DNA double helix, incorporating thousands of plants on its facade and sustainability features including solar power, rainwater collection, and more. Twenty of the floors twist 4.5 degrees per floor as the building rises, for a total of 90 degrees from bottom to top. The tower identifies as forest architecture showing a great combination of science and technology as well as harnessing nature to help the surrounding environment.

When the lego model is completed, in my perspective view of architecture, its structure looks like a real building achieving 90 percent. During the progress, I tried to make up a strong base to support the twisting tower with 21 floors. More impressively, is the fact the Tower, each floor rotates 4.5 degrees relative to the prior floor for a total rotation of 90 degrees through the 21 floors. It made me difficult when I moved up 21 floors of the tower with a total rotation of 90 degrees. Finally, I completed the model. I believe that this tower identifies as forest architecture showing a great combination of science and technology as well as harnessing nature to help the surrounding environment. 

Furthermore, I would like to reveal to everyone that  Tao Zhu Yin Yuan is a name full of hidden meanings of Chinese architecture in particular and modernity in general.

"Tao" 

Cultivation of the environment, carbon absorption, and anti-warming

Embrace the best place, the best place, the best art

"Zhu" 

The pinnacle of work, the ultimate art

Pursue the peak of technology and create the ultimate in art

"Yin" 

As stable as Mount Tai, hidden in the city

Because of its stability, it can be hidden.

"Yuan" 

Dialogue between architecture and space

Peach blossom spring reappears

H.A Studio (H.A 創作室), (as known as V.Boi Design Studio) is a small studio where specializes in the design and development of architectural models and as well as the re-design of famous icon landmark buildings, houses, and skylines in the world with small scales by Lego bricks. I always love architecture and Lego. As a designer, I'd like to bring whole historical and cultural knowledge in architecture, and life into the Lego world for all ages in order to achieve the term "Play & Learn." 

What makes the Tao Zhu Yin Yuan so special?

It is also known as "Agora Garden," demonstrates the main purpose is to achieve "Green Architecture" in the residential building by designed a Carbon-absorbing ecosystem and anti-global warming. On the other hand, its structure is very unique with a double helix of the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), source of life, dynamism, and twinning concept. 

More impressively, the tower’s design is comprised of a large cylindrical central core, flanked on opposite ends by two nearly rectangular living spaces. Each floor rotates 4.5 degrees relative to the prior floor for a total rotation of 90 degrees through the 21 floors created natural beauty for the tower. The tower identifies as forest architecture showing a great combination of science and technology as well as harnessing nature to help the surrounding environment.

What was the hardest aspect to recreate in Lego bricks?

However, during my design, I met the difficult thing is moves up 21 floors of the tower with a total rotated of 90 degrees. Moreover, I needed to consider the base of the tower how strong to support the whole tower with a twisted structure.

Are there any interesting parallels between the model and the real-life building?

Actually, they are. The architect wants to pay special attention to every floor is rotated by 4.5 degrees clockwise as the tower moves up. When viewed from different angles, the tower transforms into countless shapes which four main shapes of the twisted building are pyramid, cross, inverted pyramid, and ellipse to present hierarchical architecture. I did it so well with Lego bricks, I think.

Are there any unusual details on this model?

As a designer, I tried to use the same technique as a real building with white, blue, and green elements in Lego. At the base of the tower, we can see some green trees with lego bricks and tiny solar panels. 

What's your favorite part of this model?

My favorite part of the model is the part of the surface on the rooftop of the tower looking down with following the twisting of the tower turning clockwise. I believe that they are the power of sustainable design perspective with Lego. It is an important part created the pay attention for the builder in the beauty of green architecture in Taipei. 

This building is like be a song of the earth and coexists with the environment. A carbon-absorbing vertical forest building is without a doubt the most profound vision for the buildings of future cities. Tao Zhu Yin Yuan puts combating global warming into practical action, demonstrating his love for forests, interpreting depth through space, and inculcating enduring beliefs. Architects and designers hope to improve the world's efforts to combat global warming and establish a culture of carbon sequestration by people; they also believe that it will be departed from Taiwan and declare it to the world. 

Anyway, Tao Zhu Yin Yuan is a good idea for urban landscape design in carbon‐absorbing architecture in particular and sustainable architecture in general by architect Vincent Callebaut. It is my favorite residential high-rise building in Taiwan with quite a special and unique structure inspired by the structure in the double helix of the DNA. I believe that it is awesome to build it in Lego bricks in order to emphasize the perspective view of the designer in Green architecture.

 

Lego ideas: Link