MVRDV has designed a pair of office towers in Taipei’s Nangang district that together form a new urban gateway at the east of the city. Positioned in front of Kunyang Station, Nangang Pair is defined by a clear architectural gesture: it appears as a single building slab split in two complementary towers, complete with a “crumbling” surface and contrasting facade treatment to emphasise and celebrate this apparent break. Developed for JUT Group, the design serves as a formal entrance to the district, creating a public plaza by opening towards the station and guiding pedestrian movement towards the city. 

© MVRDV

Historically known as an industrial district nicknamed "Black Town," Taipei’s Nangang has transformed into a centre for technology, finance, and innovation, and today functions as the city’s eastern transportation hub. Extensive urban renewal, much of it driven by public-private partnerships since the early 2000s, has introduced a wide range of new developments, resulting in a relatively uniform architectural language across the district. Within this context, it was important for the project to establish a clear and recognisable architectural gesture. The plot of Nangang Pair occupies a key point where high-speed and regional rail lines converge at Kunyang Station. Due to the intensity of this transport node, creating a conventional singular slab would interrupt the foot traffic around the station. Instead, the project splits the needed volume into two and angles the towers to create a public plaza and generous lobby spaces that accommodate the flow of people and establish a clear sense of arrival, while framing views towards Hsin Hsin Park beyond.

© MVRDV

The design is defined by the two volumes that shift apart to form a gate towards the station, appearing as a single vertical slab split in two. As a result of this split, fragments emerge along the inner faces of the towers in the form of balconies, leaving corresponding cut-outs in the opposite volume.

"By splitting the demanded building volume, we create a gateway that directly responds to the urban flows around the station," says MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas. "It is a literal gesture of opening; the towers pull apart to frame the neighbourhood and invite the flow of the city through the building rather than blocking it."

© MVRDV

This ‘break’ in the massing is further emphasised through a varied facade treatment. The outer sides of the towers are clad in a glass curtain wall with protruding mullions, while the inner faces of the opening are treated with a finer, flush facade that highlights the contrast. The grid lines of the facade extend into the paving of the plaza, with the warped grid on the floor reinforcing the splitting gesture.

At ground level, the corners of the towers are cut away to create a grotto-like overhang above the lobby entrances. This geometry is supported by tilted columns along the inner edge of each tower, responding to Taiwan’s demanding seismic conditions while allowing for an open, column-free entrance.

© MVRDV

The ground floor accommodates spacious lobbies and retail spaces with cafes and restaurants, while the third level provides communal services for tenants like video conference rooms, lounges, etc.. To further activate the plaza, small pavilion-like objects, functioning as kiosks or seating, are sprinkled across the landscape appearing as fragments broken off from the main building mass.

The project includes a rooftop garden for tenants and incorporates several technical solutions for climate resilience. Rainwater harvesting systems are integrated for rooftop and landscape irrigation, while detention tanks at ground level and within the raft foundation assist with urban flood mitigation. Additionally, photovoltaic panels are installed atop the roof bulkhead to provide power for the building's public areas.