MVRDV wins competition to design Hoowave Water Factory

 

The Hoowave Water Factory, a sizable redevelopment of Huwei's Beigang and Anqingzhen canals, will be designed by the international office MVRDV, according to the decision of the Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs. In an effort to move beyond the mono-functional approach to regulating and distributing water, the project blends a strategic master plan with the landscape design. By including bike pathways, cultural amenities, and ecological systems, the idea not only stores and captures water but also expands access to the river and the surrounding habitat. A thorough plan for flood resilience is also included in the master plan, along with recommendations for increasing both the quantity and quality of the water supply. In 2026, the project is anticipated to be finished.

Around 70,000 people live in Huwei, a town on the Baigang River in the interior of Taiwan. Water pollution in the town is a result of expanding agriculture and urban areas. The town is shielded from flooding by a dike built on the site of a former alcohol factory, although it separates the Huwei from the river. The plan intends to reestablish a connection between the town and the river. Localized naturally cleansed water buffers are also included. It also works to clean up the irrigation canal in Anqingzhen. The factory's abandoned areas might be turned into a bustling park and a hub for recreational activities thanks to its re-naturalization.

According to the company, Huwei and the Beigang River are currently separated significantly by the manufacturing grounds and a dike constructed to safeguard the town from floods caused by the river.

The town is unprepared for the increasingly severe floods and droughts that will come as a result of climate change, and it suffers from water contamination brought on by its urban and agricultural growth.

MVRDV's design focuses on five goals: the new Huwei water system is conceived as resilient, ecological, connected, cultural, and feasible, given the fact that its completion is expected in early 2026.

Urban areas and connections to the waterscape are also created by transforming the dike to the south of the town. Sports fields and viewing areas are two more proposed uses for the space between the dike and the river. The new Beigang River Park, which is divided into several sections, alters its personality to fit in with the nearby town districts while taking into account the projected frequency of floods at various distances from the river.

In addition to the Beigang River Park, the plan describes two other areas of particular emphasis. In a former industrial location, The Anqingzhen Waterland incorporates the naturalised canal into a forest park. The city-wide flood-control system and the season will both affect how much water is in the waterway. In the meantime, the Pinghe Lake design turns the existing flood detention pond into an environmental hotspot and a destination for walkers and bikers on the outskirts of the city.

One of the most effective interventions in a city is the construction of water infrastructure. The connection between the river and the urban setting frequently determines access to resources like clean water, open green spaces for sports and recreation, and frequent transit options.

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