Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen places great importance on education, allocating substantial budgets to renovate aging school buildings, construct new auditoriums, and establish new schools. One by one, brand-new auditoriums and school facilities have been completed—featuring eye-catching designs, multifunctional spaces, and a strong emphasis on greenery, sustainability, and community integration. These architectural projects have transformed campuses into spaces reminiscent of art museums, with some even becoming new city landmarks. This year, Taichung's achievements were recognized at the 2025 FIABCI-Taiwan Real Estate Excellence Awards, winning an impressive total of 12 major awards—including 2 Excellence Awards, 9 Gold Awards, and 1 Merit Award—the city's best performance to date. Taichung has thus emerged as the country's leading city in educational infrastructure development.
Director Chiang Wei-Min of the Education Bureau noted that the city government allocates the highest proportion of its overall budget to education. The Education Bureau continues to dedicate efforts toward the improvement and construction of school buildings. Since 2021, these efforts have collectively earned a total of 20 awards from the FIABCI-Taiwan Real Estate Excellence Awards. This year, the Education Bureau submitted 12 campus construction projects for the 2025 FIABCI-Taiwan Real Estate Excellence Awards—and achieved a remarkable grand slam, with all 12 projects receiving awards. The honors include two Excellence Awards for the newly built auditorium at Hezuo Elementary School in Fengyuan District and the Phase II new school building at Songchiang Elementary School in Beitun District; nine Gold Awards for the reconstruction of the Ren’ai Building at Fengtian Elementary School in Fengyuan District, the auditorium at Guangfu Elementary and Junior High School, the auditorium at Wuri Junior High School, the auditorium at Xuguang Elementary School in Wuri District, the Phase I new school building at Nanxing Elementary School in Beitun District, the demolition and reconstruction of the old school buildings at Rinan Junior High School, the auditorium at Neixin Elementary School in Dali District, the auditorium at Changyi Elementary School in Taiping District, and the auditorium at Fuyang Elementary School in Fengyuan District; and one Merit Award for the auditorium at Guangzheng Junior High School.
The Education Bureau noted that in response to rapid population growth and the need for new educational facilities, Songchiang Elementary School in Beitun District was designed around the core concepts of “Inspiration, Expansion, and Everyday Life.” The project created a flexible learning environment that integrates green belts and semi-outdoor spaces, allowing lessons to extend beyond classrooms and onto the outdoor lawns. This innovative approach has made the school a representative model of educational and ecological harmony within urban redevelopment zones.
As for the newly built auditorium at Hezuo Elementary School in Fengyuan District, it stood out with its large-span, curved steel roof that seamlessly blends into the surrounding landscape. The structure presents a light and open architectural form, with the entrance greenbelt and covered walkway jointly fostering a calm and welcoming atmosphere conducive to learning.
The Education Bureau explained that in recent years, the city government has actively promoted the “Auditoriums for Children” initiative. Among this year’s award-winning projects, eight are auditorium construction projects, demonstrating the comprehensive implementation and success of this initiative. In addition to the Excellence Award-winning auditorium at Hezuo Elementary School in Fengyuan District, the honored projects include: Fuyang Elementary School in Fengyuan District, where the auditorium is integrated with lawns and a play area to create a semi-outdoor open space that encourages children to play and interact freely; Xuguang Elementary School in Wuri District, whose design draws inspiration from large building blocks, featuring a simple façade and recessed layout that balances safety with a playful, child-friendly aesthetic; Guangzheng Junior High School, which breaks from traditional stage layouts by adopting a dual-sided open design that extends into the outdoors and is enhanced by surrounding greenery to create an immersive “forest stage” atmosphere; Guangfu Elementary and Junior High School, which incorporates existing spaces with new steel-frame structures to form an energy-efficient and sustainable venue capable of supporting large-scale gatherings; Changyi Elementary School in Taiping District, which employs a beige and bright yellow color palette accented with partial brickwork to blend into the campus setting and create a lively, cheerful ambiance; Wuri Junior High School, whose auditorium features a curved wooden roof with clerestory windows, allowing diffused natural light to illuminate the space, thereby reducing daytime lighting needs and enhancing energy efficiency; Neixin Elementary School in Dali District, which integrates new auditorium with the existing campus layout, connecting with the activity center to create a cohesive circulation throughout the school grounds.
In addition to auditorium projects, Taichung also achieved outstanding results in school building construction. Notably, the new school building at Nanxing Elementary School in Beitun District was designed to connect the nearby Han Creek and surrounding parks, fostering a nature-integrated and community-friendly campus. Meanwhile, Fengtian Elementary School in Fengyuan District enhanced ventilation efficiency through staggered building volumes and a central breezeway. Its lively campus ambiance is further enriched by a vibrant mosaic façade with contrasting colors.
The Education Bureau emphasized that educational infrastructure goes beyond physical upgrades—it serves as the foundation for children's learning experiences and life memories. Going forward, Taichung will continue to incorporate innovative designs and user-friendly spaces into all educational construction projects, ensuring that every child can learn happily and grow with confidence in a safe and warm school environment.