Taipei,Taiwan

• Asia experienced rapid economic growth after World War II. However, Taiwan was
• unable to fully tap into its potential due to an insufficiently open political and social
• climate and high land prices that distorted the local real-estate market. It was only
• following the end of martial law in the late 1980s that society began to come to life.
• The possibility with which this period teemed found its greatest expression in the
• Comprehensive Community Development Movement of 1996, a grassroots campaign
• to care for and shape the physical environment that showed the effectiveness of
• people power.
  
  Starting in Yilan, local architects over the past 20 years have worked indefatigably
• to make professionalism and quality bywords for their craft. Thanks to their efforts,
• elements that did not directly stem from Taiwan's rapid economic rise but have given
• Taiwan's people a higher quality of life have been introduced. Among the structures
• they have designed are Yilan County Hall, Dongshan River Water Park and Yilan
• County's main administrative center by Japanese firm Atelier Zo; Lanyang Museum,
• plans for which were drawn up by Kris Yao; as well as the Jiaoxi Township Office, the
• plaza outside of the Yilan Train Station and the Performing Arts Plaza in Sanxing
• Township, all by Huang Sheng-yuan