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DesignNewswire · COMO, Italy ·

Gushan Fish Market by C.M Chao Architect and Planners Is Granted the Silver A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design

C.M Chao Architect and Planners acknowledged for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 19, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ Gushan Fish Market by C.M Chao Architect and Planners, designed for C.M.Chao, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The result belongs to the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

What the Silver A' Design Award Means

The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.

More About Gushan Fish Market

Gushan is a renovated fish market building in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, completed in June 2023. The century-old entrance structure was preserved, so visitors can see the original Dutch-style brickwork on arrival. The main volume is designed as a transparent box surrounded by a 270-degree sea view. Double glazing reduces energy use, and fused glass on the exterior walls creates a water-like, bubbled surface. The site now houses a ferry station and an exhibition and sales center for agricultural and fishery products.

About C.M Chao Architect and Planners

C.M.Chao at present, there are 60 colleagues, including Kaohsiung Office, Tainan Branch Office, and Taichung Office, who are good at transforming the landscape into design. We regard design as the process of environment creation and find new space value through this process. We are more convinced Architectural creation must be connected with land and life, so that space can move people.

Award Record

With this recognition, C.M Chao Architect and Planners is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.

About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award

The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Typical entries include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. The awarded architectural projects are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/architecture

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project
Gushan Fish Market
Function
Fish Market
Category
Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Discipline
Spatial Design
Industry
Architecture
Colors
Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Black and Dark Olive Green
Images
5
Client
C.M.Chao

The Recognition

Laureate
C.M Chao Architect and Planners
Country
Taiwan (China)
Recognition
Silver A' Design Award
Edition
2023 - 2024
Design ID
#152933

Credits

Team
C.M.Chao
Image Credits
C.M.Chao

Design Details

Unique Properties
Preserving the memory of the harbor: The entrance building is century-old. While improving the exterior of the building, the design team has preserved the original structure so that the public can appreciate the history of the market as they enter. Transparent box-like building: The base is surrounded by a 270-degree sea view. The concept of a 'transparent box' is used to create a sense of brightness, and the building has a different look during the day and night. The part in the middle of the double-layer glass can save energy at the same time, and fused glass on the exterior walls creates a water-like bubble.
Inspiration
The economic function of the fish market was gradually replaced by the booming offshore fishing industry. To revive the former glory of Gushan Fish Market, the design team demolished the dangerous buildings and improved the surrounding environment, transforming it into the Kaohsiung Agricultural and Fishery Products Exhibition and Sales Center. The imagery of boats and the sea are the features of the building, and the view outside the glass box-like building is a natural sea view. The design team aims to create an exclusive new landmark in Kaohsiung through transparent architecture and blurred boundaries.
Research
The Gushan Fish Market is a building that is nearly 100 years old. It was built in 1927 and was an important economic hub and transportation center for Kaohsiung. To revive the former glory of Gushan Fish Market, the design team demolished the dangerous buildings and improved the surrounding environment, and transformed it into the Kaohsiung Agricultural and Fishery Products Exhibition and Sales Center. The building features imagery of boats and the sea, with a spectacular sea view outside the glass box-like building. The Gushan Fish Market is expected to become a new landmark in Kaohsiung after the renovation.
Challenge
The regulations restrict the length of new buildings from exceeding 100 meters, otherwise, there will be wind resistance concerns. The project deliberately kept the open structure in the middle section of the building to achieve compliance with the code and to increase indoor ventilation. Moreover, the project was completed with the help of many public sector entities. There was a lot of communication and coordination during the process, which extended the construction period.
Realization and Technology
The key to renovating old buildings is to preserve and recreate them. The project uses heat-resistant, durable, and long-lasting green building materials, including waterproof paint, wind-resistant glued laminated timber, double glazing, insulation panels, paints, and monolithic finish flooring. Standing in the center of the space, one can look back at the Fishery Office, which has a distinctive Dutch-style brick structure. During the renovation, only the waterproofing was enhanced and the original brick structure was retained, allowing the traces of history to be seen by all.
Operation and Interaction
The renovation project evokes the memories of local people and achieves regional integration. The 'Gushan Fish Market' old building revitalization project will link Yancheng, Asian New Bay Area, Kaohsiung Music Center, Kaohsiung port warehouse no.2, and Penglai Pier. The core location is the best for tourism planning, forming the Kaohsiung waterfront tourism zone. It is also the aim of the design team to preserve the century-old buildings. History should not be forgotten over time but should be recreated and reborn to create the pride of the Kaohsiung people.
Project Duration and Location
The project finished in June 2023 in Taiwan.
Specifications
The base is 7243.64 square meters, and the building area is 2468.38 square meters. During the opening period, it attracted more than 30,000 visitors on a single day. The entire site is divided into the Fishery Office at the entrance, Gushan Fish Market, and the Plaza. Inside the market is divided into Gushan Ferry Station and Kaohsiung Agriculture and Fishery Products Exhibition and Sales Center. The design team specially re-planned the route to separate people and vehicles.
Keywords
Gushan Fish Market, Kaohsiung, old building, renovation, century-old history, fishing port, transparent box, boat, tourism.

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