ECG International Landscape Consultants has transformed the site of a derelict sugar factory in Pingtung City, Taiwan, into a public park that retains fragments of the existing industrial infrastructure.
The Heito 1909 project covers an area of 160,000 square metres that had been inaccessible to the public since 1909 when it was developed into a factory for processing sugar cane.
The park sits on the remains of a sugar-cane processing factory
The project by ECG International Landscape Consultants transforms the site on both sides of Snake Creek into a public space that combines natural environments with the preservation of the factory's ruins.
The park is shortlisted in the landscape project category of Dezeen Awards 2021, alongside a tranquil garden designed for a property development in Danyang, China, and a playful park in Beijing featuring large pipes that contain walkways and bridges. The factory ruins have been preserved
The retention of the existing structures is a rare example of adaptive reuse in Taiwan, where old buildings are frequently demolished to make way for new development.
The architects chose to preserve and integrate the ruins to provide a link to the history of Pingtung, which was known as Heito during the period of Japanese rule in the early 20th century.
Several underground structures were uncovered
The landscaping project incorporates several underground structures that were uncovered as the overgrown site was gradually cleared to create space for th...