Premier Lai Ching-te expressed approval Thursday for the hard work of the Kaohsiung municipal government and other units in overcoming considerable difficulties during the construction of the new National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts. The center—a first in Taiwan and unequaled in Asia—will celebrate a grand opening in October of this year.
Upon opening, the Kaohsiung center will be the premier cultural landmark in southern Taiwan, completing the nation's performing arts ecosystem. Its significance as an indicator of cultural equality and balanced regional artistic and cultural development cannot be understated, said Premier Lai.
The premier's remarks came following a presentation by the Ministry of Culture (MOC) on the construction and current status of the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts at the weekly Cabinet meeting.
The MOC billed the new center, designed by Dutch architect Francine Houben, as the largest artistic and cultural facility in Taiwan, with a floor area exceeding 140,000 square meters. The center features four main performance areas: an opera house seating 2,260, a playhouse with 1,254 seats, a concert hall with space for 2,000, and a recital hall with a capacity of 470. Construction began in 2010.