The Island: 21-Story Organically Curved Residential Tower
- Editor OGN Daily
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
In cityscapes dominated by huge glass boxes, a Dutch architecture firm is taking a rather more natural approach.
The building is called The Island which, unlike its boxy neighbours, has a gently curved exterior with organically styled balconies that achieves a style that looks less like a building and more like a cliff overgrown with nature - and is sure to become a strikingly original addition to the skyline in Taichung, Taiwan.
There are two particularly striking features: the lush vertical gardens spilling off the balconies, and the skin of the building itself. It's beautifully wrapped in a bespoke mosaic of irregularly shaped white ceramic tiles in a technique best known from the work of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. The tiles hug every curve and fold of the structure, creating a fluid, shimmering surface that feels handmade rather than factory-stamped.
Click images to expand | All renderings courtesy of MVRDV
MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs calls it “a soft touch in a city full of boxes.” But it’s also a social experiment. The tower features five massive, three-story “sky decks” carved into the façade, designed to create a feeling of spaciousness and entice residents out of their apartments and into shared spaces. To be sociable, to help engender community. The Island's residents will also be able to enjoy a communal dining room, a lounge, and - not that surprisingly for this part of the world - it will also have a dedicated karaoke room.
In summary, it’s quirky, it’s green, and it proves that high-density living doesn’t have to feel like life in a filing cabinet. The building is scheduled for completion in 2028.