EDDEA celebrates the opening of the Pop Music Centre in Taiwan

More than a decade after the project began, EDDEA’s founding partners, Luis Ybarra and José María de Cárdenas, attended the official opening of the Kaohsiung Pop Music Centre in March 2025. One of the most important works in South Asia, the cultural complex has transformed Taiwan’s port waterfront and become an icon of the city.

A design that connects the city with the sea

Designed by EDDEA in collaboration with Manuel Monteserín, the project covers more than 88,000 m² and brings together a wide variety of cultural and public spaces, including concert halls, open-air auditoriums, retail areas, squares and a network of green spaces. The design creates spatial continuity between the interiors and their surroundings, connecting the city with its waterfront.

Meng Hang, EDDEA’s architect in Taiwan, highlighted the complexity of the process: “The project went through difficult moments, but today we feel deeply proud. The Pop Music Centre has transformed this part of the city, and having been part of that change is something we will always carry with us.”

The official visit allowed the EDDEA team to see for themselves the urban and social impact of the intervention, which has exceeded visitor expectations since its technical opening in 2021.

An architectural and human achievement

Luis Ybarra stressed the human dimension of the project: “It has been very moving to finally be here. This centre is not only an architectural achievement but a space that people live in and love. For us, that is what matters most.”

Construction, which was affected by pandemic restrictions, called for specialised technical development to respond both to the subtropical climate and to demanding acoustic requirements.

The Kaohsiung Pop Music Centre has established itself as a benchmark in urban and cultural design, bringing together architecture, landscape and public space. The intervention is part of the city’s strategy to revitalise its port waterfront, with the aim of positioning Kaohsiung as a cultural reference in the region.