Former Air Force Command Building Restored, Unveiling New Vision for National Cultural Hub

Taipei, July 7 (CNA) The Ministry of Culture took over the former Air Force Command Headquarters in 2018 and developed it into the Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB). After three years of restoration, the former office and war room buildings were unveiled today by the Ministry of Culture, heralding a new vision for the C-LAB as a national cultural hub.

The Ministry of Culture held a media exchange event today to mark the completion of the restoration of the national historic sites at the C-LAB. Minister of Culture Lee Yung cited the concept of "Cultural Double Axes of the Capital" proposed by Vice Premier and former Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun. In addition to the east-west axis for cultural industries and the north-south axis for museums, he also hopes that C-LAB will become the central point of life for these cultural axes.

The former Air Force Command Headquarters office and war room buildings, unveiled by the Ministry of Culture today, are now designated national historic sites. Their architectural predecessors were the "Taiwan Governor-General's Industrial Research Institute" during the Japanese colonial era, completed and put into use in 1943, making it an important industrial research institution in Taiwan at the time. In 1950, the Air Force Command Headquarters moved in to use the space as offices.

Lee Yung pointed out that the building was constructed by the Japanese to prepare for southward expansion into Southeast Asia, serving as an experimental base for researching cutting-edge energy and scientific materials. Later, the Air Force Command Headquarters occupied this space to defend the Republic of China, and the United States also used it as a command center at one point. The three keywords, "cutting-edge, experimental, and defense," perfectly echo today's cultural C-LAB.

Lee Yung said that in the past, C-LAB often seemed mysterious, with people unsure of what was happening inside. However, it was similar to the experiments conducted by the Japanese back then, with achievements in fields such as animation and cultural technology. In the future, top cultural figures and artists will gather here to conduct the most avant-garde experiments, connect with the world, and defend Taiwan's cultural sovereignty. "This entire future building is a base preserved for cultural sovereignty."

C-LAB has been executed by the Taiwan Living Arts Foundation, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, since 2018. It has successively promoted projects such as the Creators' New Talent Creation Program, the Animation Creators' Base, and the Sound and Visual Laboratory. Deputy Minister of Culture and Chairperson of the Living Arts Foundation, Wang Shih-ssu, stated today that the Living Arts Foundation is undertaking the crucial mission of transitioning from 0 to 1, responsible for incubation, creation, and international对接, moving from the "Cultural Experimentation Field" to the "Cultural C-LAB" phase.

Wang Shih-ssu said that after the completion of the building's restoration, the initial phase will focus on three major goals: the rebirth of historic sites, cross-disciplinary development, and international exchange. It is hoped that in the future, it will be built upon Taiwan's historical and cultural content, becoming a platform for a new nation like Taiwan to voice itself, allowing Taiwanese culture to take flight, and developing into the "C-LAB National Cultural Hub."

The restored former Air Force Command Headquarters office and war room buildings will have their scaffolding removed in August, welcoming a series of activities such as the "Clear Sky Season" and the "Cultural and Creative Industries Expo." The National Culture and Arts Foundation will also move into the space before the end of the year. Wang Shih-ssu revealed that plans for the integration of different units and dining spaces will be gradually rolled out starting next year. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150707

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