Dutch architectural firm MVRDV has revealed an innovative design for a tourist visitor center in southern Taiwan that mimics natural rock formations to seamlessly blend with the coastal landscape. The Nature Rocks project, located at Jialeshui in Kenting National Park, was selected as the winning proposal by Pingtung County Government following a design competition.
MVRDV collaborated with Taiwanese architecture studio HWC Architects to create the rock-shaped visitor center, drawing inspiration from the area's distinctive sandstone coastline and natural rock formations. The design aims to minimize visual impact on the natural environment while providing essential facilities for tourists visiting the national park.
The project features three main buildings constructed from reinforced concrete, a material chosen specifically for its durability in the harsh coastal environment prone to typhoons and saltwater exposure. Each structure incorporates large spans of glazing that offer panoramic views of the sea. Over time, the buildings are designed to support the natural growth of moss and small plants, which will gradually cover the structures and further enhance their integration with the surrounding landscape.
The largest of the three rock-like buildings will house a welcome center, café, and souvenir shop, topped with an accessible rooftop terrace where visitors can enjoy stargazing activities. The smallest building will contain restroom facilities, while the third structure will provide exhibition and educational spaces for visitors to learn about the local ecosystem and geology.
To minimize environmental impact, the new structures will be built along an existing road and will replace smaller buildings that have been repeatedly damaged by typhoons and seawater intrusion. The sloping terrain around the buildings will be leveled and enhanced with organically shaped steps, creating an outdoor public space suitable for hosting events and local markets.
The design incorporates innovative stormwater management features, including strategically placed cracks in the paving that will help drain the site and reduce damage from typhoons and flooding. These openings will also be planted with vegetation to create wildlife corridors connecting the shoreline to the forest, with salt-tolerant plants near the ocean transitioning to taller, denser vegetation closer to the forest.
Beyond the main visitor center site, MVRDV plans to upgrade the existing road infrastructure to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and shuttle buses. Additional smaller rock-like structures will be strategically placed at points of interest along the route, including near a local waterfall, to guide visitors and highlight natural features.
"What you see today at Jialeshui shows a clear boundary between the natural and the artificial," explained MVRDV co-founder Winy Maas. "In turn, this artificial trail separates nature from itself, separating forest from coastline. In our design, the artificial elements take the shape of the surrounding nature, like natural extensions of the site rather than foreign objects."
Maas continued, "Our goal was never to impose architecture on the landscape, but to let it emerge from the natural conditions, to break the monotony of the straight line, and to emphasize that Nature Rocks!" The project represents MVRDV's continued commitment to sustainable and contextually sensitive design approaches.
This Taiwan project adds to MVRDV's growing portfolio in the region, which includes the transformation of an old shopping center into a sunken park and public pool, as well as plans for a marble-clad skyscraper in Taipei. The Nature Rocks visitor center is expected to become a model for sustainable tourism infrastructure that respects and enhances natural environments.
