The Spring appeared in the center of the metropolis of Tainan in southern Taiwan at the initiative of the city authorities at the site of a shopping center. The Chinatown Mall, which opened in 1983, turned out to be unclaimed in the 21st century and only occupied valuable space between the Tainan Canal and the busy Hai'an Street.
The mall was dismantled, using all its parts as recyclable materials, but part of its structures was preserved as a trace of the city's history. The basis for the MVRDV project was its first level of its underground garage, and in the second, under it, you can look through specially made glazed openings, which adds intrigue to The Spring.
The architects, led by Winnie Maas, created an "urban lagoon" on the site of the shopping center: the water level there will change depending on the dry or rainy season, and in the extreme heat in The Spring they will additionally create "fog". Tainan has a tropical climate, so a public reservoir there is in demand all year round.
The project also includes a playground and a stage, but the main thing is landscaping with local plants. In two or three years they will reach maturity and bring coolness and shade to the townspeople. Tainan is one of the greenest cities on the island, but additional trees and shrubs won't hurt anyone.
The authors of the project compare the remains of the mall with the ruins of the Roman Forum; they will become the basis for kiosks with drinks, etc.
The section of Hai'an Street adjacent to The Spring was previously landscaped by MVRDV: traffic in each direction was reduced to one lane, landscaping was added, numerous ventilation kiosks that cannot be dismantled led to a unified appearance.
