Cianjhen District Dream Mall
The Dream Mall, opened in March 2007, is a symbol of people pursuing dreams in the new era. Designed by the American RTKL construction team, the Dream Mall was the largest shopping mall in Southeast Asia at the time of its construction, with the government aiming to turn it into a local hub to stimulate the economy, change people’s lifestyles, and drive the harbor industrial zone’s transformation. An important urban landmark in Kaohsiung, the Dream Mall contains 12 aboveground and 5 underground floors, with a floor area of 121,000 ping.
The RTKL construction team designed the Dream Mall to communicate harmoniously with the city by introducing a layered, canyon-like “inner street” between two major buildings. The inner street, located on the B1 floor, is free from the obstructions above, and lets in sunlight, air, and water. At each end of the inner street is a large metropolitan park, emphasizing the rich tropical landscapes of southern Taiwan.
前鎮／統一夢時代購物中心
統一夢時代購物中心，象徵著一個新時代的人們共同構築的夢。2007年3月夢時代在高雄開幕，這座當時東南亞最大的購物商場，委由美國RTKL團隊操刀設計，希望能成為一個地方樞紐，刺激經濟與新一代的生活方式，帶動海港工業區轉型，為這個夢正式揭開序幕。作為城市中重要性的地標性建築，夢時代建築本體地上12層，地下5層，樓地板面積高達12.1萬坪，落成後也成為高雄市民不可抹滅的城市記憶。
至於RTKL建築團隊是如何讓空間需求如此龐大的建築物與這個城市產生和諧的對話呢？筆者認為本棟建築最值得一看的部份是「內街」。建築師將量體在水平向度上一分為二，並藉此創造出類似漸層峽谷的「內街」於兩棟主體建築物之間。內街從B1層一路向上挑空，讓城市中的陽光、空氣和水都有機會滲透到這巨大的量體之中。內街的端點是兩個巨大的都會公園，更呈現出南台灣層次豐富的熱帶景觀。