HUASHAN 1914 CREATIVE PARK

The Council for Cultural Affairs began implementing Phase II of the Cultural & Creative Industries Development Plan on 2007-2011. However, the results have fallen somewhat short of expectations. Although an immense amount of resources were invested in cultural & creative industries, an "independent" approach and operations were adopted for development, not only lacking effective integration with other resources but also overlooking the potential of sustainability that can be created by resource integration. The resource that has the most direct influence is cultural property. The development of creative & culture parks, which is an ongoing effort of the Council of Cultural Affairs, plays a key role in the development of cultural & creative industries.

Before 1994, the Council for Cultural Affairs focused on hardware constructions of cultural facilities; however, they began to implement the preservation of Huashan 1914 Winery until 1997; beginning with the implementation of abandoned space reutilization in 1998; in 2000, it began implementing community empowerment and making comprehensive plans for the development of local cultures and industries. The Art Village and New Hometown Community Development Project in 2002 reutilized abandoned spaces for art performances and exhibitions and invited artists to move in. In 2003 the Council began implementing its cultural & creative industries policy, and used abandoned wineries for creative & culture parks, (including Taipei Winery, Taichung Winery, Chiayi Winery, Hualien Winery and Tainan Warehouses), inspiring cultural creativity and producing economic benefits.

Nonetheless, over the years the content of the projects have had several differences, all of them being efforts serving a common purpose. According to the Council’s abandoned space reutilization principles, under the premise that structurally safe buildings that serve the “promotion of art and culture” purpose, can be reutilized. Nevertheless, 30% of the total area must not exceed the usage for commercial purposes. The Huashan 1914 Creative Park was selected for being state-owned land and easy to acquire, and did not go through industrial clusters or cultural and creativity evaluations. The park is on the “isolated island” state due that no consideration was given to the geographical relationships or with the connection between the peripheral settlements and the urban development.

Given the land acquisition, change of land usage, building renovation, and maintenance, the progress of the Huashan 1914 Creative Park and Culture Park (Taipei Winery) has the fastest progress. In 2008 their operations were outsourced and the county government provides several million NTS each year.

A brief development description:[1]

• Taipei Winery of Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Company, which was founded in 1914. Due to Taipei’s urban planning and environmental protection policy, in 1987, the winery was relocated, leaving the original winery abandoned.

• A “Huashan association for the promotion of culture and art” was created in 1997 by art workers from different fields, and appealed to Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Company for the right to use the abandoned winery.

• In 1999, the Taiwan Provincial Government Cultural Affairs Department, after negotiations gain to outsourced the management and operation of the “Taiwan Culture Environment Reform Association”, and renamed it “Huashan Art District”. Hoping that Huashan would become a center for culture and creativity in Taiwan, the Council for Cultural Affairs gave to them six functions:

1. Video

2. Market

3. Education

4. Performance

5. Entertainment

6. Sales

Nonetheless, the Huashan development began in 2002, The Council for Cultural Affairs formulated a guidance plan in May 2004 for future developments of Huashan, highlighting that the park operations and management must not rely on government , and that the park should serve as a tool for culture and creativity as well for industrial economics and for living arts and commercial consumption, while possessing the “creativity incubator” function. The space adopts dual-axis development, expanding space for visual arts, performing arts and digital arts as well as a space for sales channels of cultural and creative industries.

In accordance with the “Act for promotion of private participation in infrastructure projects”[2] Huashan 1914 park was developed in three stages, and it includes de “film museum OT 9 case” (signed a contract with Taiwan Film and culture association in February 2007) for historic monuments, the “cultural and creative industries space RatIO case” (contract signed in November 2007, the Strategic Alliance in Taiwan’s cultural creative industries acquired the right for reconstruction and operation for 15 years and operation right would be extended for another 10 years if the well done operational performance was achieved) for historic buildings, and the “Taiwan cultural and creative industries flagship center BOT case (the strategic alliance in Taiwan’s cultural creative industries was selected in August 2009 and awarded a 30 year contract for the center’s construction and operation; upon expiration of the initial contract the alliance would be given priority for 10 year contract extensions, but limited to two extensions, after which the alliance would no longer have priority).

Nowadays, the Huashan 1914 creative and cultural park is the Taipei City resident’s favorite recreational location for the holidays, the temporary food stands are surrounded by people on the grass square. However, if you are interested in the further exhibition halls, the crowd will suddenly vanish, and very few people pay a visit to the final part of the park. The products displayed in the creative art markets during the holidays are mainly industrial products and are unable to attract the people glance. From the Huashan creative and cultural park process, after being abandoned for over twenty years we can reach the following conclusions:

• Focusing on a cultural development and inciting creativity, exclusiveness, distinction and the uniqueness of cultural industries can establish a symbolic economy and local cultural identification.

• With the annual artistic, cultural and architectural exhibitions, it allows continuing the connections between art, local history, and cultural heritage. Moreover, appreciate the link between local and global cultures, sculpting the regional cultural landscapes.

• Nowadays, Huashan 1914 is not only the heart of Taiwan’s creative pulse but also a bridge to a unique architectural past.

Sources:

[1] Ming, S. Y. (n.d.). A study of the revitalization of Huashan creative and culture park in Taiwan. Taipei, Taiwan: Department of Architecture, National Taipei University of Technology.

[2] Ming, S. Y. (n.d.). A study of the revitalization of Huashan creative and culture park in Taiwan. Taipei, Taiwan: Department of Architecture, National Taipei University of Technology.