apple and foster + partners introduce ‘island of serenity’ to heart of taipei

apple and foster + partners open taipei’s newest architectural and cultural destination, apple xinyi A13. xinyi is a young, vibrant area situated along the eastern edge of the city and filled with touristic attractions, shops, and entertainment. together with the skyscraper taipei 101, it is one of the most popular destinations on the island. taking advantage of the neighborhood’s vitality, the project creates an inviting new plaza with a delicate pavilion to provide a space for learning and creativity in the heart of taipei. in developing the scheme, foster + partners worked in close collaboration with the design team at apple led by chief design officer, jony ive.

image © nigel young / foster + partners

with a prominent relationship with the street, apple xinyi A13 by foster + partners introduces an atmosphere of tranquillity to the area with a pavilion and public plaza. the plaza introduces a serene island within the bustling city. it is flanked on two sides by unique sculpted water features, inspired by the picturesque image of taiwan’s mountainous geography and the natural rock formations in penghu. it is a composition of large, meticulously carved blocks of basalt surrounded by groves of shady camphor trees. covered by a thin film of water, the top surface of each block appears as if immaculately flat and mirrored while the lateral surfaces are rough. the textural duality generates a dynamic contrast between handcrafted and machined finishes. several nozzles embedded within the ground release an intermittent mist into the air, cooling the area while creating an ethereal visual effect.

image © apple

the pavilion’s transparent monolithic glass façades invite visitors into the store and through to the public plaza, sheltered by a razor-thin 77-foot span carbon fiber roof. two cores located within the store support the roof while integrating the services. passing through the display spaces on the ground level, the store continues downstairs, with sculptural staircases inspired by those at apple park in cupertino. meanwhile, timber ceilings and trees throughout the store add a natural calmness to the interior.

image © nigel young / foster + partners

jony ive, who had recently announced his departure from apple to start his own design firm, comments: ‘apple xinyi A13 is in essence, a beautiful shaded plaza with a lovely calming water feature and a small entrance pavilion which takes you down into an apple store — that is it. its understated simplicity belies the extraordinary complexity behind the incredibly thin carbon fiber roof, the amazing earthquake-resistant structure as well as the beautiful water sculptures that imbue the space with calmness and serenity. we wanted to design a public space with a building that was so refined that its presence is hardly felt, yet it makes a positive contribution to the city.’

image © nigel young / foster + partners