• 2019-03-29

The Future Learning and Senseable City Forum was held on January 18, 2019, as part of preparations for the construction of the Southern Branch of the National Central Library and National Repository Library. The forum was jointly hosted by the National Central Library (NCL), Bio-architecture Formosana (BAF), National Chiao Tung University (NCTU), and Taiwan Architecture & Building Center (TABC).

NCL director-general, Ms. Tseng Shu-hsien opened the forum with a short speech, in which she remarked that the NCL had fought for more than 15 years to secure the construction of the Southern Branch of the National Central Library. The NCL finally won Executive Yuan approval for the project in late December, 2017, and awarded the tender to design and oversee the construction to BAF the following year. The Beitou Branch of Taipei Public Library, constructed in partnership with BAF while Ms. Tseng was director-general of Taipei Public Library, had changed everyone’s definition of a library, won many awards and become very well known around the world. The NCL is partnering with BAF and Carlo Ratti Associates for this project, with the aim of bringing even more innovative design elements and concepts. 

The topics presented for discussion at the forum included a lecture by Prof. Hou, June-hao, director of NCTU Graduate Institute of Architecture, entitled “From Keeper to Explorer,” and a lecture by the renowned Italian architect Prof. Carlo Ratti of MIT Senseable City Lab, entitled “The Senseable City.” By analyzing statistical data on building use, we can better understand people’s behavior in specific spaces and how to influence their creativity. With regard to future trends, Prof. Ratti believed that when designing libraries of the future we ought to strengthen new connections between people, books, and nature.

The event concluded with the forum discussion, which was attended by Prof. June-hao Hou, Prof. Carlo Ratti, Dr. Feng, Ming-whei of the Institute for Information Industry, Mr. Kun-yue Lin (林昆閱) of Delta Electronics Inc., Mr. Tan, Jhen-bo of Siemens, and Mr. Lee, Chin-wei of Bio-architecture Formosana.