Cianjin District Talee Department Store
Built in 1984, the Talee Department Store is a subsidiary of the President Group and the earliest Japanese-style department store in Kaohsiung. In 2008, the Talee Boutique Department Store opened next door. Designed by Dutch company UNStudio, the Talee Boutique Department Store curtain walls were ingeniously crafted into eternal star patterns, echoing its English project title “Star Place.” The facade faces Central Park, with horizontal grilles and vertical dot glass incorporated to the curtain walls to effectively solve shading and heat insulation-related problems prevalent in Kaohsiung to ensure that visitors are able to enjoy the green views of Central Park. At night, the dotted glass is accentuated using colorful LED lights that are controlled using programming software. On special holidays, the dotted glass is used as a billboard. The open air-covered space in the center of Talee Department Store was designed, along with carefully placed escalators, to create the feeling that all stores are connected and aligned. The streets of the department store spiral up and down to form a high-density, three-dimensional space, where visitors can locate themselves using the open-air space and Central Park to identify store locations on different floors.
前金／大立精品百貨
大統集團旗下的大立百貨，於1984年成立，是高雄最早的日式百貨公司。2008年由荷蘭UNStudio設計的大立精品百貨開幕，外牆帷幕玻璃巧妙組合成永恆之星的圖樣，呼應著英文案名Star Place。
面對中央公園的立面，非常巧妙地運用水平格柵與垂直網點玻璃背擋，有效解決高雄氣候必須面對的遮陽與隔熱問題，並保有訪客望向中央公園的視覺穿透性，將廣大的公園綠意帶到室內。夜間利用網點玻璃作為多彩LED光源發光的介面，結合編程軟體控制，讓立面有更多表情，甚至在特殊節日成為廣告看板，例如2013年黃色小鴨來到高雄港展出，那段時間的立面都有黃色小鴨游過的動畫，高度整合且具表現性。
中央挑空空間的設計概念，意圖透過挑空的視覺穿透性及電扶梯的動態配置，營造出所有商店接在單一動線的感覺，如同立體化的公共街道，只是街道以螺旋狀上下盤旋，來賓透過挑空及中央公園來定位，並能在不同樓層指認各個商店位置，創造出高密度都市空間的立體化商店街。
儘管大立百貨經過數次整修與調整，各階段的記憶都深深烙印在高雄人與觀光客的腦海中，與時並進的建築與都市空間，繼續參與著高雄的未來。
文／侯慶謀
圖／高雄市政府文化局