Beitou Public Library

A pioneering green library in Beitou Park, completed in 2006 as one of Taiwan's first buildings to earn the highest domestic sustainability rating. Built almost entirely of timber, it rests lightly among the trees with broad balconies, a planted roof that harvests rainwater, and deep eaves that shade the reading rooms. Large windows frame the surrounding hot-spring valley, blurring the line between the quiet interior and the wooded park outside. Its distinctive form has made it a landmark of contemporary Taiwanese eco-architecture.