In 2004, Allied Works and landscape architects Gustafson Guthrie Nichol developed a proposal for two sites at Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan. The project was part of the New Taiwan by Design Competition, which sought to preserve and upgrade a number of the island’s most beautiful landscapes and tourism destinations. The first site, Shuishe Waterfront Park, creates a series of terraced pools, landscape platforms and promenades that connect across a small bay adjacent to a popular commercial district and ferry terminal. The design mitigates the lake’s large fluctuations in water level and creates a new focal point for the park in the form of a floating teahouse.
The second site, Hsiangshan Visitors Center, creates a gateway to the lake district along the region’s primary highway. The design provides a range of amenities, including an information booth, education center and restaurant, as well as a range of hotel accommodations. The terraced landscape creates multiple levels of activity and maximizes views to the water while providing areas of calm and solitude for overnight guests.