May 16, 2016

Taipei’s Dingpu MRT station is right-out of a sci-fi movie

by Gareth Mankoo

Travelling to work on a daily basis shouldn’t be all monotony. There can be a splash of color or a surprising twist in the thematic every now and then to make it a little less arduous grind. Thankfully for folks who use the Taipei metro, the Dingpu MRT station has been made to look as cool and futuristic as the set of a sci-fi movie. It has been designed by a local architectural firm, J. J. Pan & Partners, and is built with sweeping curved lines, energy-saving reflective solar tubes and LED lights that are completely programmable. This brings not only the design to the forefront, but also the sustainability angle into play. The curved lines are deliberately made to resemble the letter C, which denotes carbon. The district was once a known coal mining zone but the same elements have evolved in application and use to now accommodate carbon nanotubes.

The natural light that is captured on the surface is used to illuminate the area below the ground. The underground light fixtures symbolize light waves, halos, and radiancy.