Heito 1909 Urban Park

Heito 1909 Urban Park

Heito 1909 Urban Park is a groundbreaking urban regeneration project in Pingtung, Taiwan, that exemplifies innovative adaptive reuse of industrial heritage through contemporary landscape design. This significant urban intervention transforms an abandoned factory complex with historical layers spanning multiple eras, including the colonial period, World War II, and post-war industrial development, into a vibrant public recreational space. The park's distinctive design philosophy emphasizes the preservation and integration of existing ruins, treating them not as mere artifacts but as integral elements of the new urban fabric. Through sophisticated technological applications, including point cloud laser scanning for precise historical documentation and parametric design for new architectural interventions, the project achieves a seamless blend of historical preservation and modern functionality. The park's design addresses complex challenges of industrial pollution remediation, converting a contaminated riverfront into a thriving natural habitat while creating meaningful public spaces that connect citizens with their industrial heritage. This Silver A' Design Award-winning project in the Urban Planning and Urban Design category represents a pioneering approach to industrial landscape rehabilitation in Taiwan, demonstrating how historical preservation can coexist with contemporary urban needs. The park's development, completed in two phases between 2018 and 2021, involved extensive historical research drawing from diverse sources including US Navy World War II records, Japanese colonial archives, and industrial documentation, creating a rich narrative tapestry that informs the spatial experience and connects visitors to the site's multilayered past.

urban regeneration, industrial heritage preservation, adaptive reuse, sustainable landscape design, historical architecture, public recreational space

— Adam Dawson