Located in Taipei's fashionable Ximen District, the octagonal-shaped two-story red-brick structure began life as the first market to be constructed by the government during the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945). Known as the "Octagon Market," the building was erected out of wood on the site of Taipei's old West Gate, which was a neglected cemetery through the end of the Ching dynasty (1644-1912). The structure's shape reflected the symbolic importance of eight-sided objects in Chinese philosophy that are said to represent the never-ending cycle of the universe--or in other words, eternal life itself.
In 1907, a young Japanese architect by the name of Kondo Juro was tasked with giving the building a makeover. He chose a Western-style design that featured red-brick walls and ceilings of steel reinforced cement. The building's roof, however, was its most unique feature as it was built from a framework of metal trusses, with a radially symmetrical shape, like an umbrella.
In its day, the neo-classical structure was considered one of the most architecturally unique buildings in Taipei, ranked on par with the Taiwan Governor's Residence (now the Presidential Office) and the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau building in terms of design quality.
After World War II, the Red House was converted into the Shanghai Gardens Theater and began staging performances of cross-talk (a traditional form of Chinese standup comedy) and Peking and Shaohsing operas. The cross-talk and Shaohsing opera performances proved extremely popular with local audiences and played before packed houses night after night.
According to Chang Yin, a renowned director and co-author of two titles on the history of Taiwanese theater, in 1953 the Red House began to move away from Chinese theater forms and started staging Western-style plays. This saw the facility become the center of Taiwan's experimental theater movement. "This was the golden age for Taiwanese stage," he said. "The venue was suitable for putting on plays, and it attracted theater devotees from across the country."
Chang explained that many of Taiwan's famous actors such as Tsao Chien (1922-2002), Tien Feng and Lang Hsiung (1930-2002) got their start at the Red House before going on to the movies or television. "In those days," he recalled, "there was no difference in the status of actors. For each performance, everyone was paid the same."
With the rise of the silver screen, theater fell out of favor with the masses but the Red House adapted by switching over to show Hong Kong martial arts films, and later, second-run domestic and foreign celluloid offerings. Huang Yung-chuan, director of Ximen Market's administrative committee, recalled that in the early days, the theater was packed with cinemagoers who never seemed to be able to satisfy a seemingly insatiable urge for this new media. "Many parents would take their children and see the films together," he said. "It's not like today where kids just hang around theaters with their schoolmates."
By the late 1980s, dwindling crowds brought on by the lack of modern facilities and competition from rival cinemas in the area forced the theater to begin playing segments of adult films during scheduled features in the hope of boosting attendances. But even this bold move was not enough to save the theater. The once-proud building eventually closed its doors and was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair.
For many Taipei residents, this sad state of affairs was completely unacceptable. "The theater was once the center of Taipei's social scene," Huang said. "When it was going strong, it used to be very close to our daily lives. The challenge was to save this historic building and make it relevant to the new generations."
In 1994, Yaoshan Cultural Foundation Executive Director Alice Chiu, Body Phase Studio's Wang Mo-lin and Shi Chien University lecturer Yan Chung-hsien, among others, could no longer bear to watch the Red House's decline. They began raising public awareness of the theater's plight by staging a variety of performances under the banner "Dream of the Red Chamber." The group's efforts continued until former ROC president and then mayor of Taipei, Chen Shui-bian, took notice and the Ministry of the Interior designated the site as a Grade-3 historical site.
Original plans called for the theater to be converted into a film museum and auditorium, but these quickly changed in 1998 after ROC President Ma Ying-jeou was elected mayor of Taipei. Under Mayor Ma's administration, the intended function of the Red House was redefined to serve as a multifunctional art facility aimed at reviving Taiwan's rich tradition of performance arts--such as storytelling, singing, acrobatics and even folk medicine shows--bringing them all together under one roof.
On July 26, 2002 the dream became reality, with the Paper Windmill Cultural Foundation reopening the Red House after winning a five-year contract to manage the facility on behalf of the city government. This undertaking took an enormous amount of effort and dedication, which was evidenced by the foundation spending around US$650,000 on the project, despite no budgetary support from the city's Department of Cultural Affairs.
According to Grace Wang, vice president with Paper Windmill, the city government's original efforts to save the historic site did not sit well with local residents. "The neighbors wanted the building torn down and replaced with a new structure that would boost commercial opportunities in the community," she said. "But as it was now a historical site, this was impossible."
Wang explained that the renovation process presented its own challenges because of the building's age. All of its interior piping and electrical wiring had to be replaced; in addition, cement covering the pillars also had to be carefully removed so as to leave the original red-brick surface in an undamaged state. "Our biggest challenge though was stopping the building from leaking," she laughed. "Although the design team spent a long time trying to fix the problem, the structure still springs leaks during heavy downpours."
In order to improve the quality and longevity of the renovations, inflammable materials were not used in the project, nor were cooking facilities installed in the coffee shop or teahouse. "This was to prevent the interior being damaged by oil and fat particles that fill the air as a result of cooking," Wang said.
Recalling the tough times that the Red House had to endure after first reopening, Wang said that days would go by with next to nothing being sold in the coffee shop or teahouse. "Once, we only issued one register receipt for the entire day," she said. "It was for a sandwich that was actually purchased by one of our own staff members."
Since reopening the Red House in 2002, Paper Windmill has employed a variety of marketing strategies aimed at capitalizing on the theater's distinctive appearance and proximity to Taipei's hippest district, Ximen. This has included putting on traditional dramas by the National Center for Traditional Arts to attract senior citizens during the day, and using the plaza in front of the building to stage public activities, like film screenings and concerts. Pop singers such as Chang Chen-yue and Sandee Chan have given performances, encouraging more people to experience a slice of Taiwan's creative heritage.
"Many senior citizens visit the Red House to enjoy feelings of nostalgia," Wang said. "But the facility also needs the presence of younger groups so there can be sustainable development and improvement of the building and surrounding area."
One unexpected development at the facility has been the emergence of Taipei's first openly gay area. The Red House plaza has become a magnet for the city's homosexual community following the establishment of around a dozen cafe bars, with names like Gaydar, G-Paradise and Bear Cafe. But the Red House's use as a gay socializing area came as a surprise to the DOCA, which commissioned the Taipei Cultural Foundation to take over administration of the facility from Paper Windmill Sept. 30 last year.
Tina Chen, secretary of the DOCA, said she had been to the plaza many times for tea and coffee but did not realize it was a gay area. Chen added that the city council is supportive of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. "The Taipei City Government treats everyone equally," she said.
Commissioner Lee Yong-ping of the DOCA acknowledged the fine work that Paper Windmill had accomplished over the past five years and said that the biggest change will be in the consolidation of the theatre complex with the market section. Lee said it is important to develop the area as a whole, rather than focusing on just the building.
To further improve the area, Lee explained that management would promote the concept of flea markets designated for digital, design and creative merchants to showcase their wares. "The idea was experimented with in July, when a two-day event attracted more than 20,000 visitors," she said. Lee added that in light of increasing demand for such activities, the facility's management is working toward making the Red House area a designated place for such vendors on weekends. In addition, it is hoped the area will be a target destination for tourists.
Although Paper Windmill has handed the Red House back to the city, Wang is still emotionally attached to the project and stressed the importance of keeping the facility in the hands of industry professionals.
"Refurbishing the building was not really the hard part," she said. "When a person can't operate a piece of electronic equipment, they simply need to ask someone for help, but running the theater is a far greater challenge."
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