
Ming-Song Shyu Architecture Historian, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Ming Chuan University
DH Café (No. 153, Section 3, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City)
One lecture for $500, including special snacks (sandwiches, desserts, drinks), and 10% discount on event book purchases.
This year marks the centenary of the Bauhaus (1919-2019) and the first anniversary of Mr. Da-Hong Wang’s passing. Three Taiwanese architects profoundly influenced by the Bauhaus—Da-Hong Wang, Chi-Kuan Chen, and Chao-Kang Chang—each contributed in distinct ways to the development of post-war modern architecture in Taiwan. Though time has passed and the pioneers are gone, revisiting their legacy today still reveals astonishing cultural depth. On this centenary, it is essential to reflect on the vital cultural assets they bequeathed to us. This four-part lecture series marks the beginning of our profound reflection. This session is “Theme 2: Taiwan’s Architecture and Bauhaus— Early Architectural Development in Post-War Taiwan – From U.S. Aid to the Big Hat Roofs.”
Wang Da-Hong, Chi-Kuan Chen, and Chao-Kang Chang—three architects who studied in the United States and were influenced by the Bauhaus movement—spent their lives exploring a form of modern architecture rooted in Chinese identity. Though their paths appeared similar, each undertook distinct and innovative experiments. They arrived in Taiwan during the 1950s; Wang Da-Hong and Chi-Kuan Chen ultimately settled and made Taiwan their home, while Chao-Kang Chang relocated to Hong Kong. The works they left behind hold a meaningful place in the architectural memory of successive generations on this island. In this talk, speaker Ming-Sung Hsu draws upon years of research and archival materials to vividly recount how each contributed, in their own way, to the development of modern architecture in Taiwan during the post-war period.