The CUBE Pavilion / Quality Innovation United

Architects: Quality Innovation United
Area: 250 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Studio Millspace
Manufacturers: Danpal
Lead Architects: Young Chiu, Jolanda Oud, Takuji Hasegawa
Structure: Ching Chi Enterprise Co. LtdChing Chi Enterprise Co., Ltd
Main Contractor: Ching Chi Enterprise Co. Ltd
Lighting Consultant: Art Light Design Consultants
City: Kaohsiung
Country: Taiwan

THE CUBE, designed by Quality Innovation United (QIU) for the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts International Container Art Festival, aligns with the theme “Van Buren Supernova,” focusing on light, stars, hope, and new life. Located at Pier 9 in Kaohsiung’s regenerated art district, the pavilion reflects the city’s port heritage. The structure features a lightweight white steel frame with five floating, translucent container-like volumes made from polycarbonate panels, offering a dynamic interaction with light. Due to pandemic-related container shortages, alternative materials were used, creating luminous vessels that guide visitors through the space. A vertical container with kaleidoscope reflections connects visitors to the sky. Designed to endure high typhoons and seismic risks, the pavilion balances a slender frame with necessary reinforcements. Sustainability was prioritized, with materials selected for lightness and recycled post-exhibition. THE CUBE launched the Taiwan Lantern Festival, drawing over 100,000 visitors and transforming Kaohsiung Port’s skyline.

The cube pavilion / quality innovation united

Quality Innovation United (QIU) designed THE CUBE for the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts International Container Art Festival, themed “Van Buren Supernova,” which focuses on light, stars, hope, and new beginnings. THE CUBE aims to inspire thoughts about Kaohsiung’s future while staying connected to the city’s port heritage. It is the most ambitious and largest pavilion featured at the Kaohsiung International Container Arts Festival in over a decade.

THE CUBE—described as communicating vessels through interstellar corridors—is a pavilion built with a white, lightweight rectangular steel frame. It creates a hierarchy of spaces where five container-like volumes uniquely interact by hanging, floating, and appearing to escape. Visitors are encouraged to freely explore the structure and its floating elements, which provide a multi-dimensional experience through dynamic lighting and materials. Positioned on Pier 9 in the city’s regenerated art district, the pavilion offers framed views of Kaohsiung harbor, allowing various perspectives through the volumes in this post-industrial setting.

Due to the pandemic, containers became scarce, prompting the use of alternative materials for the pavilion’s construction. Lightweight translucent polycarbonate panels were used to mimic the shape of containers, forming luminous horizontal volumes. These are accentuated by interconnected lines of light, guiding visitors as they explore the concept of mobility and the unknown. The pulsating translucent vessels create a sense of curiosity, drawing visitors into the heart of THE CUBE, with the rhythmic play of light and darkness symbolizing the pulse of life. Visitors are invited to enter these horizontal vessels, experiencing a ‘breathing organism of light,’ and appearing as silhouettes from the outside, transforming them into performers within the art installation.

The hollow vertical container at the center of the pavilion creates a connection between the visitor and the sky. When viewed through its kaleidoscope-like interior, the sky reflects infinitely, highlighting the shared concept of containers and stars as vessels for both tangible items and ideas. The design of THE CUBE, featuring accessible hanging containers, a slender steel frame, and overall dimensions of 15m x 15m x 12m, posed structural challenges due to the site’s high risk of typhoons and seismic activity. To maintain the slender appearance and the original 3m x 3m structural module, a 1m x 1m subframe was strategically added to provide the necessary structural support for the floating volumes. This adjustment increased the square hollow section to 50mm x 50mm, a subtle change that blends seamlessly with the pavilion’s scale.

Sustainability was a key focus in the design process; the structure’s weight was minimized by carefully selecting materials and optimizing the live load arrangement. All building materials, including light fittings, were recycled after the exhibition. Jolanda Oud acknowledged the critical support from the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, along with the dedication and expertise of collaborators, contractors, and sponsors, stating, “Their involvement made this pavilion possible, and we are proud of the high-quality finish achieved.”

THE CUBE debuted at the Taiwan Lantern Festival this year, attracting over a hundred thousand visitors. The pavilion’s pulsating, luminous containers appeared to float among the lines of light, collectively transforming the industrial skyline of Kaohsiung Port.