Taiwan: MVRDV plans “Sun Rock

MVRDV’s latest coup seems to be in the making in Changhua County, Taiwan. The Dutch company is developing the so-called “Sun Rock” project for the state-owned energy company Taipower, which will house offices, a maintenance workshop, storage rooms and a public gallery. The goal: a carbon-free future. Here we present MVRDV’s project in Taiwan.

The Dutch architect group MVRDV recently presented its next project: the “Sun Rock” for Taiwan’s state-owned energy company Taipower. MVRDV’s building in Taiwan will be an important symbol of the small island nation’s goal to switch to green energy.

The Sun Rock building will cover 12,900 square meters. It will serve as an operations building for Taipower and will include offices, a maintenance workshop, storage rooms and a public gallery. At the same time, the shape and façade of the building will be a “built manifesto for Taipower’s carbon-free future”. This is because the building will be covered with at least 4,000 square meters of solar panels. This means that the Sun Rock will be able to generate almost one million kWh of renewable energy per year, making it completely self-sufficient.

MVRDV’s Sun Rock in Taiwan will be located in the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park near Taichung. The storage and maintenance facility will have a dome-like structure to maximize solar radiation. The centerpiece of Sun Rock will be a data room that will display real-time information about Taipower’s operations and the amount of renewable energy generated.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2024.

“Of course, we strive to make all our projects as sustainable as possible. But we see that projects can be more than just sustainable. This project has a unique and fascinating potential. The user is an energy company, which allowed us to do more than usual. We have covered the entire façade with photovoltaics to maximize energy gains, so that the building not only covers its own use, but can also become an energy production tool that exports electricity to the rest of the grid. This is achieved by positioning the panels as efficiently as possible. As a result, our design is completely data-driven. It’s always fun to see the results when you make analysis a defining part of the design,” says MVRDV founding partner and Sun Rock project leader Winy Maas.

A data-driven approach to energy

Behind every Sun Rock PV panel from MVRDV in Taiwan are a lot of calculations to ensure the panel gets optimal placement with maximum sun exposure. The focus on data is also visible in the atrium at the heart of Sun Rock. Here, several data displays and a gallery space on the second floor will illustrate Taipower’s foray into renewable energy. At the same time, visitors can take a look inside the maintenance workshop. This juxtaposition of utility and gallery spaces makes the Sun Rock building a key project for the Taiwanese energy company.

Sun Rock not only demonstrates the potential of data and intelligent data analysis for renewable energies. It also houses another gallery for exhibitions and a roof terrace. Under the protection of the dome, both visitors and Taipower employees can relax and enjoy the trees that have been planted on the terrace.

Sun Rock will primarily serve as an operations building for Taipower. The building will contain offices, a maintenance workshop and storage space for renewable energy and sustainability equipment. At the same time, Sun Rock is perfectly prepared for Taiwan’s energy transition to sustainable, green energy.

Accordingly, the exterior features of the Sun Rock building, i.e. its shape and façade, are designed to generate solar energy as efficiently as possible. This makes the building a statement or manifesto for renewable energy. And therefore also an important communication tool for Taipower.

On its southern side, the Sun Rock slopes downwards, creating a large area that faces directly towards the sun. The northern end of the dome is exposed to the sun in the morning and evening. A series of carefully planned structural folds will house both photovoltaic panels and windows.

At least 4,000 square meters of PV panels will make the building self-sufficient. An even larger PV panel area is currently being considered, which would allow Sun Rock to feed up to 1.7 million kWh of renewable energy into the grid each year.

Taipower is the largest electricity supplier in Taiwan. The company is actively involved in the energy transition and thus supports Taiwan’s goal of becoming emission-free by 2050. This goal of carbon neutrality requires extensive structural changes.

Taipower supports the transformation of the energy structure by prioritizing the development of renewable energy. This is in line with the government’s goals of expanding the use of renewable energy in Taiwan, increasing the capacity of electricity generation from natural gas, reducing coal consumption and phasing out nuclear power. By 2025, Taipower aims to increase the proportion of energy generated from natural gas to 50 percent and the proportion of renewable energy to 20 percent.

Other elements of this strategy include the development of alternative fuels with lower CO2 emissions, such as biomass or hydrogen, and the development of carbon capture technology.

Digital transformation plays a central role in these efforts. The Sun Rock is an example of how digitalization can help improve energy supply through smart operation and dispatch of energy. Real-time information and advanced data analytics will enable optimized, reliable use of renewable energy in Taiwan.

Sources and further information:
ArchDaily: MVRDV’s Sun Rock Project Is a Built Manifesto for Renewable Energy
CommonWealth Magazine: How can Taipower lead Taiwan into carbon neutrality?
World Architecture: CommonWealth MagazineMVRDV Designs Dome-Shaped “Sun Rock” As A Built Manifesto For Taipower’s Carbon-Free Future

Also interesting: Taiwan is not the only country pursuing innovative ideas to work on the energy transition. In the Netherlands, the futuristic de Windwheel project is set to become the new icon of sustainability.