29-5-2009
Ecology
The park will be a stepping-stone in a greater environmental and ecological structure of Kaohsiung-city and its natural setting. The Park should obtain an internal ecological balance but should also play a role in the greater regional structures. The Wei-Wu-Ying Metropolitan Park should link to the whole structure of parks in the city and the natural environment of Kaohsiung. A direct link can emerge to the neighbouring ZongZheng Park and possible links throughout the city can be reached by newly planted, existing avenues.

Culture
The park should contribute to the cultural life of Kaohsiung. By the use of the existing planting, the Banyan trees, and the existing premises, the Barracks and the activities that are already undertaken, the park addresses to the cultural history of the spot. Additionally, the Metropolitan Park should be a seedbed for new cultural activities and, create and stimulate new opportunities.

The Park celebrates the development of the new National Kaohsiung Performing Arts Centre that will contribute to the new identity.

Design
The joy of life inspired the design of the park. The experience in the use of the park is lead by the rhythm of day and night, the seasons and the cycle of life:
All-day use can take place in the edges of the park, directly adjacent to the living and sports areas surrounding the park-site. Here, people, old and young can play, relax, read the news paper, practise Tai Chi. The daily routine of commuting can be enlightened by descending the Esplanades to and from the Metro-stop. Here the park can be experienced in a fast-forward mode.

The two new Gardens will change the use into a slow mode.
One new Garden introduces a home for the birds and butterflies. Here the endless time of nature prevail. It is surrounded by water and can only be experienced by people from the outside.

The second, cultivated or Culture-Garden creates the idyll of everlasting nature. A river of flowers that flow forever surrounds it.

A Metropolitan Park may not only be a green spot in a city. It should give space for recreation, playgrounds for children. It should be a place to connect nature to people and people to people. But it should also be a place to fall in love, to dream and live!
The quest for a design for the Wei-Wu-Ying Metropolitan Park is a challenge to give new meaning to the former Wei-Wu Camp and create a new focal point for Kaohsiung, for the children, for the birds and butterflies, to all ‘residents’ and nature.

In daytime one can cross the river, at night the river floods by the water coming from the central pond. Then, the garden functions as an extra foyer of the new Performing Arts Centre. The flowers in the river refer to the flowers of the cotton tree.
In daytime one can fly away with the kites to far horizons and into open skies. The scent of flowers of the Bombax Ceiba (cotton tree) indicates the season. The flowers of the proud tree (nickname: hero tree) are symbol for Kaohsiung.

The final design of the park has three major layers that addresses to the different meanings:

I. Plane;
The Plane is the connector and catalyst of the park to its environment.
It connects to the ecological structure of the Kaohsiung region;
It connects the adjacent neighbourhoods to the park and to each other;
It creates new straight lanes to make the park-area permeable by introducing Esplanades diagonally through the park;
It provides a site for commercial development in the south-east part of the park;
It accommodates the daily use of the park and gives accessibility ‘for the neighbourhood’.

II. Grid;
The components of this layer are the existing trees, the barracks and the grid of pathways throughout the former campsite. This layer integrates the physical existing and newly added programme.

It re-positions the existing trees that create a full-grown natural condition immediately;
It re-positions the existing barracks that can accommodate new activities;
It remains the cultural-historical meaning of the site;
It gives place for newly undertaken initiatives;

It creates space for festivals and happenings for the whole of Kaohsiung-city;
The park-site will be accessible ‘for the people’ of Kaohsiung-City.

III. Gardens;
The Gardens add special value to the Wei Wu Ying Park by introducing a mini-natural reserve, not accessible for people but only ‘for the birds’. Next to the reserve it introduces a Culture-garden ‘for the dreamers’. Here love-couples can stroll, children can play with their kites and people can enjoy open-air concerts. This Culture-garden houses he National Kaohsiung Performing Arts Centre. The flow of people continues from the open floor of the building into the open fields in the garden.

The river of flowers encloses the Culture-garden. The scent and colours of the Bombax Ceiba tree makes people enjoy life.

The accessibility follow the rhythm of day and night. The Culture-garden is ‘for the people of the world’.