Press Release
MRT Bureau Kaohsiung City Government Receives the Silver A' Design Award for O10 Station Urban Design in Urban Planning and Urban Design
MRT Bureau Kaohsiung City Government recognized for urban planning and urban design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 24, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that O10 Station Urban Design by MRT Bureau Kaohsiung City Government, designed for Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Urban Planning and Urban Design category. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Silver A' Design Award Explained
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.
About O10 Station Urban Design
O10 Station is a mixed-use urban development built above two metro stations in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The site covers about 1.8 hectares and provides around 287,811 square meters of floor area across six basement levels and five towers of 38 to 52 stories. Hotel, office, residential and retail spaces are combined with ground-level black-box theaters seating 120 to 200 people. The underground levels connect the two stations and guide pedestrian flow. High-performance facades control solar shading and daylight to limit energy use.
About MRT Bureau Kaohsiung City Government
Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government
Award Record
MRT Bureau Kaohsiung City Government is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' City Planning and Urban Design Award
The A' Urban Design Award is an international urban design competition recognizing good urban plans and designs by best urban planners and architects worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to urban planning designers, urban architects, city planners and urban designers from all countries. Entries typically include masterplans, zoning proposals, infrastructure designs, landscape blueprints, public space concepts and urban renewal projects. Awarded urban plan designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/urban-planning
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission 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. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated 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. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates 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, the upload of a work and the 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. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/182391
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/182391
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!182391
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/380789
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
- O10 Station Urban Design
- Function
- Urban Design
- Category
- Urban Planning and Urban Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Social Impact
- Colors
- Dark Olive Green, Dim Gray, Light Steel Blue and Dark Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government
The Recognition
- Laureate
- MRT Bureau Kaohsiung City Government
- Country
- Taiwan (China)
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #182391
Credits
- Team
- Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government
- Image Credits
- Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, Kaohsiung City Government
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The O10 Joint Development Project leverages its proximity to the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts-Weiwuying by integrating hotel, cultural, and commercial programs. An international-brand hotel, managed by a global hospitality group, accommodates performing arts troupes and audiences. Ground-level black-box theaters seat 120-200, prioritizing emerging groups, while lower floors incubate youth-led arts ventures. Offices, residences, and street-facing retail activate public space, extending Weiwuying's cultural energy into daily urban life.
- Inspiration
- For years, Kaohsiung's growth relied on steel and petrochemical industries, creating dense industrial zones and environmental challenges. As focus shifts to low-carbon governance and improved public life, rail transit reorganizes urban activity. Through Tod and joint development at Mrt stations, the Kaohsiung City Govt turns transport nodes into hubs of culture, daily life, and exchange. The O10 Project, at Weiwuying cultural corridor, links performing arts, urban living, and international interaction.
- Research
- As the city shifts from industry toward a balance of culture and living, it requires high-density nodes with global connectivity. The O10 Joint Development Project integrates dual-MRT infrastructure and Tod strategies, combining hospitality, office, residential, and retail uses. With nearly 288,000 square meters of floor area, it supports cultural tourism and business while forming a new urban gateway between Lingya and Fengshan, marking Kaohsiung's shift toward sustainable urban systems.
- Challenge
- Situated within the Weiwuying cultural core, O10 connects both the Orange and Yellow MRT lines, making it a dual-Mrt integrated development with high engineering complexity. The underground levels must coordinate station entrances, connecting corridors, and commercial spaces while balancing traffic safety and pedestrian efficiency. Above ground, five high-rise towers introduce density, requiring careful calibration to maintain street scale and cultural atmosphere within a high-intensity urban context.
- Realization and Technology
- The project targets Gold-level Green Building certification, Class 1 Building Energy Efficiency, and Level 4 Low-Carbon Building status. Its design emphasizes high-density mixed-use development with durable, energy-efficient systems. High-performance facades optimize solar shading, daylight, and energy use for extended hotel and office operations, while underground levels connect two Mrt stations, enhancing pedestrian flow, safety, and navigational clarity.
- Operation and Interaction
- As Kaohsiung's first dual-MRT joint development, O10 exemplifies Transit-Oriented Development in a high-density cultural district. By integrating transportation, hospitality, commerce, and arts, it is projected to attract over 2 million annual visitors, generate jobs, and stimulate surrounding industries. The project reinforces the Weiwuying cultural corridor, provides essential urban services, and establishes a new gateway for Fengshan and Lingya Districts, enhancing Kaohsiung's global cultural city presence.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project finished in Taiwan.
- Specifications
- The O10 Joint Development site spans roughly 1.8 hectares, with a total gross floor area of about 287,811 m2. It comprises six basement levels and five mixed-use towers of 38-52 stories. Situated within a Type 5 Commercial Zone and transportation land, building coverage and floor area ratios vary by use, enabling high-intensity development while balancing public circulation and urban function. The project aims to become a pivotal urban node for culture, business, and residence, with long-term flexibility.
- Keywords
- Cultural Area, MRT Joint Development, Cultural City, Public Life, Kaohsiung
