The under-construction Da-an Park Station in downtown Taipei is to be the city’s first metro stop featuring a spacious open-air garden, according to Taipei Rapid Transit Corp. Aug. 8.
Situated six-meters below ground, the 8,000-square meter oasis features lush vegetation, sunlit walkways, a water curtain and fountain. It is expected to become an attraction in its own right, drawing even more visitors to Taipei’s largest city park.
“The garden will make visits to Da-an—one of six new stations on the Xinyi Eastern Extension—a special experience not worth missing,” TRTC officials said, adding that it represents a new chapter in TRTC metro station design.
Senior TRTC technician Chen Bor-shing said building the attraction posed an unprecedented challenge for the company. “Extra attention to structural safety was required as the station lies right next to an underground parking lot,” he added.
According to the TRTC, the project involved an international consortium of designers and garden consultants, including local firms Steven CF Chang Architects, Sinotec Engineering Consultants Ltd., as well as U.S.-based landscape planners SWA Group.
The 6.4-kilometer Xinyi extension, which commences at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station, is slated to open by the end of 2012.
The Taipei Metro system currently has 10 lines and 89 stops, offering over 100 kilometers of services around Taipei and adjacent New Taipei City.
Write to Kwangyin Liu at kwangyin.liu@mail.gio.gov.tw