The Beitou (北投) branch of the Taipei City Library was selected among the “coolest” examples of “green buildings” by travel Web site “When On Earth,” which said the building was designed to curb consumption of water and electricity.
The Web site recommends places worth visiting or things to do in different countries.
The library was chosen as a good example of a green building, as it “uses large windows to help save on electricity consumption,” the Web site said, adding that the windows are opened wide to reduce the use of fans and air conditioning.
Photo: Liang Pei-chi, Taipei Times
The Web site also lauded the design of the roof, which is partially covered with photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity.
To provide water, the roof can capture rainfall, which can be stored to be used for flushing toilets, the site added.
The Web site said that the library was the first building in Taiwan to qualify for a diamond rating, the highest rank of the nation’s ecology, energy saving, waste reduction and health (EEWH) certification system.
Aside from being an example of a green building, the library was chosen by pop culture Web site Flavorwire.com as one of the 25 most-beautiful public libraries in the world in 2013.
Nine other “green” buildings made When On Earth’s list: the Crystal building in London; the Pixel building in Melbourne, Australia; the Change Initiative building in Dubai; the Bullitt Center in Seattle; the ACROS Fukuoka Foundation Building in Fukuoka, Japan; the Phipps’ Center for Sustainable Landscapes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew Temple in Sisaket, Thailand; the Bahrain World Trade Center in Manama; and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore.
The Crystal building was No.1 on the list, while the Beitou Library was 10th.
An urban landmark built by German company Siemens, the Crystal building is “one of the greenest buildings ever built by mankind” with its “striking” structural design, When On Earth said.
Apart from using natural light during the day, the building is equipped with smart-lighting technology that is primarily powered by solar energy. It combines LED and fluorescent lights that can be switched on and off depending on available sunlight, it said.
Like Beitou Library, the building’s roof collects rainwater, the Web site said, adding that the building’s recycled water is purified for drinking.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS