In Taipei, Taiwan, Tao Zhu Yin Yuan, developed jointly by Core Pacific Group, its subsidiary BES Engineer Corporation and Agora Garden Co Ltd, was honored as the Finalist on Design Innovation by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). This international award granted to the Taiwanese project recognizes Tao Zhu Yin Yuan's superiority at innovation for its outstanding structural engineering design. Past CTBUH awardees in Greater China region include CCTV Headquarters in Beijing , International Commerce Centre (ICC) in Hong Kong and Taipei 101 in Taiwan.
     Tao Zhu Yin Yuan was designed by French architect Vincent Callebaut. The architectural design of the tower is reminiscent of a tree; with vertical landscaping climbing up the tower as the tower floors are rotated at 4.5 degree with reference to the adjacent floors in the clockwise direction. The design demonstrates Core Pacific Group's commitment to environmental protection as its prime responsibility to society, which is in line with the philosophy of Tao Zhu (an ancient Chinese chancellor in the state of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period (500 BC), and Tao Zhu Yin Yuan means the Retreat of Tao Zhu), as it reflects a graceful exit from public life, nevertheless he still valued and promoted public welfare. The tower is designed to be a "green" icon in CBD of Taipei city, adjacent to Taipei 101; over 40,000 trees will be planted on the ground floor grove and balconies of residential levels, and the public space ventilation system driven by roof-top solar energy system is just one of the many features of the tower's self-balancing design that makes it an outstanding green residential project.
     The award recognizes the seamless integration of architectural and structural designs; the main structural system of the tower is the whole expression of architecture. The award also recognizes the use of geometry and current available technologies, making possible the column-free residential unit (there are no interior columns for the even numbered residential levels except the balcony columns, and no interior columns for the odd numbered residential levels), spacious 3-meter ceiling height and high seismic resistance (main frame to remain elastic under 0.4g ground acceleration).
     Historic buildings such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Hagia Sophia in Istanbul are buildings that used geometry and technologies available at the time of construction.
     French architect Vincent Callebaut provided the architectural design of Tao Zhu Yin Yuan; LKP Design, Taipei, provided detailed architectural design. The general contractor is Taiwan Kumagai and King- Le Chang & Associates is the structural engineer.






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