the installed cloud device 
Conceptual drawing of the park 
Add to Bookmarks The hypotheses of Rahm’s earlier laboratory experiments are finally being applied on an extensive urban scale in the form of the park in Taiwan What happens when liquid processes as slippery and elusive as condensation or evaporation are expressed in human thought, and, even more incongruously, in built form? The equations and diagrams of physics take on habitable scale at Jade Eco Park, a 68-hectare lot in the heart of the rapidly growing Taiwanese city of Taichung. An international competition to design this space was held in late 2011, with the winning team being composed of Philippe Rahm Architectes, Mosbach Paysagistes and Ricky Liu & Associates. The project is under construction and scheduled to open in July 2018. The proposal took many by surprise: it contained not a single naturalistic perspective drawing. Even where there are renderings, they are more akin to energy charts. Human figures are few and when they do appear, they look more like heat bags with red dots indicating the energy their heartbeats generate. There are no traces of fashionable forms, only a series of analytical and strategic diagrams. This style of presentation persists through various phases of the project’s development. Taichung gateway masterplan by Philippe Rahm Architectes Click to download The project follows the unique approach of Philippe Rahm, a Swiss architect based in Paris and currently teaching at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Rahm’s work has garnered an international following for its extreme focus on sustainability, with a methodology that, according to the architect, ‘extends the field of architecture from the physiological to the meteorological’. Meteorological factors are both the starting point and end goal; they are not auxiliary tools or items on a checklist, but the heart of all that he makes. In the context of Taichung, this approach confronts a specific meteorological condition: the city is situated on an open plain, flanked on the east by the central mountain range and by sloping plateaus on the other sides. As a result, its climate is the most comfortable on the generally hot and humid subtropical island of Taiwan. The city has grown rapidly since the 1970s, becoming a hub for light industry and especially machine parts: Giant bicycles and many of Tesla’s electric car parts are manufactured here. Taichung now has a population of about 2.8 million (compared with 1.3 in 1970), with an urban area that has been devouring the surrounding rice paddies. Formerly, its most distinguished architecture was concentrated on the Tunghai University campus, some three kilometres to the west of the park, designed by IM Pei in the late 1950s. Recent years have seen additions by equally renowned architects, including the National Taichung Theater by Toyo Ito, and the Asia University Museum of Art by Tadao Ando. Thanks to the city’s expansion, the land previously occupied by the Sui-Nan Airport now lies at the heart of the urban area, and this 250-hectare open space is a golden opportunity for the city’s future. Stan Allen Architect made a masterplan in 2008, which became a blueprint and a forum for idea exchange. There are areas designated for residential, commercial, recreational and educational use, as well as many ambitious plans, including a Cultural Centre designed by SANAA, and the Jade Eco Park. Rahm began the design process using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to produce three maps showing heat, humidity and pollution conditions on the site, and concluded with a microclimate map, which identified four ‘coolia’ (cool areas), three ‘dryia’ (dry areas), and four ‘clearia’ (clean air areas), assigning them to various activities according to climatic suitability. Then by connecting them he proposed cool, dry and clean paths, each about 2.2 kilometres long, that intertwine in the north-south direction. The dry path is for exercise: its elevations fluctuate the most, and it is equipped with dehumidifying plants and devices. The clean path is for family use and is completely barrier-free, with depolluting plants and devices along the way. The cool path is for general leisure use, with moderate topography and cooling plants and devices. The whole park functions to absorb excess water; 80 per cent of the park area may be flooded during storms as a retaining pond, 25 per cent is divided into seven ponds during the rainy season and one, an 800m-long pond in the main lot, remains functional all year. The site is composed of three lots separated by two roads. The northern lot occupies 9.3 hectares, with an administration centre, a power station with 10,000㎡solar panels that provides the electricity needs of the park, and a parking lot; the southern lot is 5.1 hectares, and will hold a water resource centre and another parking lot. The main lot in the middle, which occupies 41.3 hectares and is shaped like an archer’s bow, accommodates the primary functions and has a visitor centre. This centre acts as an exhibition hall, equipped with a coolium, a dryium and a clearium, each serving as a demonstration of the named climate concept. There are also public bathrooms, mechanical sheds, and about 300 climate devices scattered around the park. Everything is in white and somewhat reminiscent of UFOs or the stormtroopers of Star Wars: clean, simple, futuristic. The overall look is a little surreal – in spite, or perhaps because, of its emphasis on functionality. Rahm insists that there is a reason for everything and a function for every part, whether it is to provide heat reflection, waterproofing, ventilation, air space or energy conservation. Likewise, the entire layout corresponds to the function of the walkways and rooms within. Everything – be it building, pond, machine or tree – has a mission. According to Rahm, he began his career by pondering the void instead of the solid aspects of architecture – a telltale indicator of his preference for the abstract. His priority has always been the space and its quality, not the mass or the form of the building. Section of waterspout device Click to download Left: Dehumidifying devices and dry path RIght: Site plan showing position of devices along dry path Click to download Later in his career, Rahm took up the resolution of global warming as his mission in architecture. His concepts centre around basic laws of physics – ‘convection’, ‘conduction’, ‘radiation’, ‘evaporation’, ‘digestion’, ‘pressure’. His methodology may be summed up by another keyword used in the context of his 2009 exhibition The New Olduvai Gorges, ‘homeostasis’, which describes the heating and cooling processes that regulate the temperature of the human body, returning it to an optimal range of 35-37 degrees. This is an ancient wisdom that can be found in vernacular buildings constructed thousands of years ago, like cave houses in China’s Loess Plateau and wind catchers in Iran. Perhaps counterintuitively, the computer programs Rahm uses to realise such strategies today, such as CFD, are popular tools, widely used in sustainable design. The real difference is that Rahm’s enhancements are not necessarily physical in the sense of being tangible or visible, but physical as in pertaining to matter, energy and force. In a statement accompanying his work Pulmonary Space, a 2009 exhibition held in London, Rahm challenges Hegel’s hierarchy of art forms by arguing that in an age where science has unveiled for us the physical qualities of sound and voice, music and poetry have become just as material, or just as immaterial, as architecture and sculpture. The definitions of abstract and real have been rendered ambiguous in the information age, and Rahm reflects on and makes use of this ambiguity in many of his works. Curiously, his early interest in the void strongly corresponds to the ancient Taoist philosopher Laozi’s adage: ‘When building a house, what makes a room a room is the emptiness within’. Little wonder that Rahm’s materials are heat, humidity and light rather than brick, glass and steel. Section of cirrus cloud temperature device 
Site plan showing position of devices along cool path
Submitted by Jieling Xiao, 2025
Location
Taichung, Taiwan, China (near the old airport)
Designer
Philippe Rahm Architectes
Year
2017
Visual Credit
Philippe Rahm Architectes
Description
Phillippe Rahm’s concept of “meteorological architecture” shifts the focus from traditional architectural elements to the invisible yet palpable aspects of climate. By mapping the site’s natural variations in temperature, humidity, and air quality, the design amplifies these conditions to create distinct zones tailored for various activities. This approach not only addresses the challenges of Taiwan’s subtropical climate but also promotes sustainable urban living by reducing reliance on mechanical climate control systems.
Highlights
The park employs a range of devices and technologies to modulate environmental conditions. These interventions are strategically placed based on detailed climatic mapping, ensuring each zone offers a unique atmospheric experience.
-
Anticyclone Devices: Utilize underground geothermal energy to cool air, providing relief in hotter areas.
-
Dry Cloud Systems: Incorporate desiccant materials to reduce humidity levels, creating drier zones suitable for activities like jogging.
-
Clearium Zones: Feature air purification systems that filter pollutants, offering cleaner air spaces ideal for children and sensitive individuals.
Scent characteristics
While the design does not explicitly focus on scent, the modulation of humidity and air quality indirectly influences the park’s olfactory environment. For instance, drier areas may accentuate the natural aromas of vegetation, while cleaner air zones enhance the perception of floral and plant-based scents. The integration of native plant species further contributes to the park’s evolving scent profile, offering visitors a subtle yet immersive sensory experience.
Reference / Acknowledgement
Gene K. King. 2017. Building with heat, humidity and light: Jade Eco Park in Taichung by Philippe Rahm. https://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/building-with-heat-humidity-and-light-jade-eco-park-in-taichung-by-philippe-rahm (accessed on 21st May 2025)
Smellscape Catalogue: 