Housing prices may go up and down, but those of top-class apartments never fall. The key behind such successful projects is the architects, and the most well-known architects nowadays in the north, middle and south of Taiwan are all NCKU alumni.

Chen Mao-Xiong (陳茂雄), the Heavy-weight Designer in Taipei

The nation’s most expensive luxury apartments are part of Treasure Palace (帝寶), with the selling price of NT$1.45 million per ping (3.3m2). The architect of Treasure Palace and other luxury complexes in Taipei is Chen Mao-Xiong, who has been the first choice of leading construction companies for the past thirty years.

Chen, who obtained a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was not born in a wealthy family, but in order to understand the residential needs of the rich, stays in top-end hotels around the world to study their interior and architectural details. Take a London trip, for example. About three years ago he planned to study the famed Ritz Hotel restaurant and appreciate its sophisticated interior design. Unexpectedly, he was informed that only Ritz guests could have afternoon tea in the restaurant, and that a formal dress code was specified. Without a word, he went back to the hotel he was staying in, checked out right away, and checked in to Ritz. He chose the smallest room, which still cost NT 30,000, bought a new tie and shirt, borrowed a suit from the hotel, and at last sat in the restaurant to enjoy afternoon tea. Afterwards, Chen noted that observing Ritz’s luxurious and delicate design made all his efforts worthwhile.

Over the past thirty years, Chen has developed fifteen essential principles for luxury complex design, namely, top location, luxury decor, notable residents, large trees, spacious driveways, a six-meter-high lobby and Renaissance cupola, six meter square living rooms and two-sided windows, banquet-styled dining rooms, grand master bedrooms, roomy balconies, high-tech facilities, 24-7 security, eco-construction materials and hotel-like condominiums.

The most difficult part of designing a luxury complex is communication, Chen said, to communicate with the construction company, government, construction workers and customers. In fact, after six years managing the Treasure Palace project, Chen’s health was damaged by the problems he encountereed.

Though Chen has built many top-end apartments, he does not want to live in any of them. To him, the essential element of a home is comfort, not luxury.


Shi Bang-Xieng (施邦興), the Sizzling Hot Designer in Kaohsiung

Shi Bang-Xieng is the hottest designer of luxury complexes in Kaohsiung for his creative ideas in both the appearance of buildings and their interior planning. Shi gained prominence in 2004 for designing a luxury apartment building with an innovative feature, as he did not use a blueprint for all the apartments in the building, but instead customized the space for each apartment.

Shi is also known for his cooperative attitude. Unlike some architects, Shi does not lose his temper when construction company directors ask him to change his designs, and his patience is another reason why he is able to win so many cases. For example, he once had meetings with a construction company chairman every two days for eight months.

Shi notes that his inspiration comes from traveling. To him, design is not simply drawing, but an expression of one’s living experiences and vision. He enriches his life by going around the world.

Dai Yu-Ze (戴育澤), the Designer Prince of Taichung

The most expensive resort hotel in Taichung, the Lalu, was designed by Dai Yu-Ze, who has undertaken more than half of the luxury complex projects in Taichung. His most well-known design is the Peace Mansion, which is regarded as the most beautiful building in Taichung. The Taichung mayor once invited the famed Iranian architect, Zaha Hadid, to design the Guggenheim Museum for the city. On visiting the city, when she saw the Peace Mansion, she was effusive in her praise.

Most of the construction companies in Taichung have had little experience of building luxury complexes, and so they went to Dai’s office with photos of his works to ask for his help. Because Dai has designed more than half of the top-end residential buildings in the city, he is called the ‘designer prince’.

Taking about his future plans, Dai noted that he would like to design a cemetery, or a mortuary house, because he has not tried this kind of design before, and because he would like his final resting place to be in his work.


【The text and photos are taken from Business Today, Issue 591.】