Wooden Wonders 木构展馆与展览丨中国嘉义丨MVRDV

为庆祝台湾嘉义建城 320 +1 周年，MVRDV 完成了一座以木构打造的期间限定展馆，馆内呈现木材的制造、工艺与建筑主题。展馆位于嘉义市政府对面，整体以方形庭院为核心，展馆的量体造型源自团队对嘉义木构建筑的在地研究。展馆将于 12 月 12 日至 28 日展出，成为民众聚集、认识城市文化并共同讨论「木构未来」的重要空间。

For the 321st anniversary celebrations of the founding of Chiayi City in Taiwan, MVRDV has completed a temporary timber pavilion housing an exhibition on manufacture, craft, and construction with wood. Located across from Chiayi’s city hall, the Wooden Wonders pavilion encloses a square courtyard, with the shape of its perimeter structure informed by deep research into the city’s timber construction heritage. The project will be on display throughout Chiayi’s anniversary celebrations, from December 12-28, providing a space for residents to gather, learn about the city’s heritage and discuss the city’s “timber future”.

▼项目鸟瞰，Aerial view of the project ©Shephotoerd

▼建筑外景，Exterior of the Building ©Shephotoerd

凭借临近台湾山脉茂密森林的地理优势，木材产业曾是嘉义地区早期发展的关键，不仅制造生活用品与家具，更建构了许多城市建筑。然而，如今森林受到保护，曾支撑城市繁盛的木艺知识与工法，也逐渐淡出多数居民的记忆。尽管如此，嘉义仍保有超过 6,000 栋木构建筑——这份珍贵的文化资产正开始受到政府重视、保护与修复。

Thanks to its position near to the dense forests of Taiwan’s mountainous heart, the timber industry was crucial to Chiayi’s historical development, and the city produced a range of wooden products, from toys and furniture to buildings. Today, the forests that once enabled this industry are now protected, and the knowledge and skills that created this culture have been forgotten by many of the residents. Yet there are still over 6,000 timber buildings remaining in the city – a heritage which the city government has recently started to recognise, protect, and restore.

▼展览入口，Exhibition entrance ©Shephotoerd

作为320 +1 周年庆祝的一部分，市府邀请 MVRDV 打造一座展馆与展览，探索嘉义与木材的深厚关系——从自然森林之美，到现代木构建筑的创新可能。在台湾，多数人对木构的印象仍较保守，加上耐震规范使既有建筑的再生难度较高，展馆在永续与文化保存上的立场，显得格外重要。

As part of Chiayi’s anniversary celebrations, the municipality therefore invited MIVRDV to develop a pavilion and exhibition that explores the city’s relationship with wood, from celebrating the area’s natural forests to showcasing the possibilities of modern timber construction. In the context of Taiwan – where many people see timber as a less reputable or reliable construction material, and seismic regulations make the transformation of existing buildings rare – the pavilion’s focus on sustainability and heritage preservation takes a bold stance.

▼坐在广场中休息的游客，People resting in the plaza ©Shephotoerd

▼体验活动的游客，Visitors experiencing activity©Shephotoerd

“嘉义的木构历史，反映了全球对木材态度的演变。木头曾经是务实、容易取得的建材，但当混凝土与钢材变得便宜又效率更高时，木材便被视为『过时』。然而在气候危机之下，我们需要重新思考。” ——MVRDV 合伙人 Jan Knikker

“The story of timber construction in Chiayi really mirrors how attitudes to timber have changed globally” “Once a pragmatic and widely available construction material, timber became ‘old-fashioned’ when materials such as concrete and steel became cheaper and more efficient. Yet nowadays, the climate crisis forces us to look from a different angle.”—MVRDV partner Jan Knikker

“木材能储存碳，而混凝土与钢材则会排放大量碳。加上数十年的材料研究与工程进步，现代木构已成为可行的建筑方式。现在正是重新谈论木构建筑的最佳时机。”——MVRDV 设计总监兼副董事廖慧昕补充

“Wood stores carbon, while concrete and steel release huge quantities of it into the atmosphere. Meanwhile decades of research and innovation have made modern buildings increasingly viable with engineered timber techniques. Now is a perfect moment to talk about timber again.”—adds Hui Hsin Liao, MVRDV associate director and head of the firm’s Taiwan unit

▼木质展柜，Wooden cabinet ©Shephotoerd

在展馆设计上，由创始合伙人 Jacob van Rijs 带领的团队，以嘉义现存木构建筑为研究起点。他们发现嘉义的木构风貌多元、横跨不同年代与风格，但仍能归纳出一些共同特征，例如以斜切量体强调街角、以装饰线条形成具特色的屋顶轮廓。▼项目调研，Research©MVRDV

For the design of the pavilion, the team led by MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs began with an architectural study of the existing timber buildings of Chiayi. What they found was aneclectic mix: timber buildings were represented in a wide variety of time periods and styles; nevertheless, the design team did identify a number of common features that distinguished Chiayi’s timber architecture, such as diagonal cuts to emphasise street corners, and elaborate rooflines resulting from ornamental crowns and decorative façade elements.

▼场地模型，Model ©Shephotoerd

展馆也转译了这些元素：四个导角量体呼应城市街角的咖啡馆与餐馆；四个立面的屋顶线则取材自代表性木构建筑，例如博物馆与派出所。三侧设有通往庭院的入口，内部粉彩色调也呼应原始建筑的色彩，成为友善的城市客厅。

▼概念生成，Concept generation ©MVRDV

These elements are echoed in the pavilion design, with its four chamfered corners echoing the city’s corner cafés and restaurants, while each side of the pavilion is highlighted by a roofline inspiredby notable wooden buildings such as a museum and police station. Three of these sides form gateways towards the courtyard, with the pastel colours of their interiors -a detail that also references the colours of the original buildings they represent – welcoming visitors into this urban livingroom.

▼展厅内部，Inside the exhibition hall ©Shephotoerd

展览沿着庭院四周配置，共五大展区。东南角为「森林」，透过展示木材的生长与采伐，以五感体验带领观众重新认识森林。西南角为「工坊」，呈现嘉义木工的历史工艺。

The exhibition occupies the perimeter space around this courtyard, split into five sections. One of these sections is dedicated to the forest, with showing how timber is grown and harvested in an exhibit that engages all five senses. A second is known as the workshop, celebrating the historic craftsmanship of Chiayi.

▼展览演讲，Exhibition lecture ©Shephotoerd

其余三区则探讨嘉义成为「台湾木都」的发展性。展览连结世界多个地区——从挪威到纽西兰——介绍各地木构传统如何演进、保存与转化，同时也展示现代木构技术如何让木文化在当代延续。北侧的双层主展厅呈现嘉义的木构愿景，邀请观众想像未来生活样貌，并提出对城市发展的建议。

The remaining three sections are dedicated to Chiayi’s potential as Taiwan’s “Wood Capital”. The exhibition draws parallels to regions all around the world, from Norway to New Zealand, showing how other places developed their wood traditions, and how they have adapted to modern conditions to maintain this culture up until today. In the main hall – a two-storey space that takes up the northern side of the pavilion – the exhibition presents Chiayi’s timber future, inviting visitors to imagine what life could be like with a reinvigorated wood culture, and to make suggestions for the city’s future development.

▼台湾木都的发展，Development of Taiwan’s Wood Capital©Shephotoerd

展馆庭院每晚将投影光影秀，而宽敞的主展厅也将成为嘉义周年庆期间的重要聚会场域，并举办一系列的公众活动与讲座。

With its courtyard space – where a light show will be projected onto the pavilion’s façade every evening- and spacious main hall, the Wooden Wonders pavilion will serve as a key gathering space during the city’s anniversary celebrations. As such, it will host a series of events for the public, including lectures by ___.

▼光影秀，Light show©Shephotoerd

Facts

Project Name: Wooden Wonders – Chiayi City Expo

Location: Chiayi, Taiwan

Year: 2025 – 2025

Client: Chiayi City Government

Size and Programme: 780m2 Pavilion + Exhibition

Credits

Architect: MVRDV

Founding Partner in charge: Jacob van Rijs

Curator: Jan Knikker, Hui Hsin Liao

Co-curator: Herng Tzou

Design Team: Jacob van Rijs, Jan Knikker, Hui Hsin Liao, Veronica Della Ventura, Samuel Tam, Miruna Duna, Ciprian Buzdugan, Laura Travnikova, Antonio Luca Coco, Teresa Papachristou, Lorenzo D’Alessandro, Yayun Liu, Andreana Vasilatou, Lodovica Chiaravalli

Copyright: MVRDV Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries

Collaborators

Local Executing Team: Bunkder Design

Wood Structure: Guanglai Construction

Projection Mapping: IF Plus

Photographs: © Shephotoerd