amba Taipei Zhongshan Opening Q2 2015

amba Taipei Zhongshan Establishes Itself
As A Stylish New Address in the Center of Taipei
with A Hip, Eco-friendly Design and A Giant Mural

TAIPEI, January 15, 2015 -- amba Taipei Zhongshan, the second amba hotel by Ambassador Hotels & Restaurants, is set to open in the second quarter of 2015. Today, the final scaffolding comes down after an 18-month transformation of the historic building, revealing a stylish new address with a giant pop art mural on tree-lined Zhongshan North Road in the center of Taipei. The hip and eco-friendly hotel landmark, specially created by leading Taiwanese environmental architecture firm, Bioarchitecture Formosana, will be the first of two amba hotels to open in Taipei in 2015.

A new neighborhood hotspot, amba Taipei Zhongshan will feature free Smart WiFi access of up to 200 Mbps hotel-wide, 90 contemporary rooms, a stylish restaurant, communal space on each guestroom floor and locally inspired fun elements throughout. Its convenient location is within a five-minute walk of Taipei Metro Zhongshan Station, and right in the heart of the shopping and entertainment district. Cultural attractions such as the Taipei Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and SPOT-Taipei Film House are also located nearby the hotel.

Zhongshan district is one of Taipei’s most historic neighborhoods, and is currently undergoing an urban renewal with century-old European architecture mixing with a treasure trove of hip restaurants, cultural gems and design shops.

Innovative, Eco-friendly Design

Working with Bioarchitecture Formosana – designers of Taiwan's greenest building, the award-winning Beitou Branch of the Taipei Public Library – amba masterfully transforms a 1970s office building into a thrilling, design-led contemporary hotel. The original building was created by yet another famous architect, Er-Pan Kao, who gave Taipei the unique structure of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.

A key objective was to continue the lifecycle of the original eight-story structure and preserve its strong, linear character. The architects renovated the façade by replacing the horizontal window bands with Low-E glass (low-emissivity) and repainting the walls in charcoal-black, giving it a bold and elegant expression.

“The sleek and striking new facade relates well to the ‘haute couture’ ambience of the street, which has long been known for its bridal boutiques and photography salons,” says Ying-Chao Kuo, Principal Architect of Bioarchitecture Formosana.

By night, the hotel eschews facade lighting, which contributes to Taiwan’s ‘heat island’ effect. Instead, the dark stripes enable the building to blend into the darkness and make the windows appear to be floating stratums, adding to the intrigue of the hotel.

The hotel entrance embraces the local aesthetic by preserving Taipei’s historic arcade-style architecture, with a covered portico extending over the public pavement. Covering the outdoor arcade ceiling, entrance walls and intimate lobby, the building’s original vintage aluminum window frames have been repurposed as an intricate urban art installation. The abstract steel screens are visibly impressive and represent amba’s eco-friendly focus and heritage neighborhood spirit.

With a nod to amba’s playful spirit and sense of place, the southern facade of amba Taipei Zhongshan features a giant pop art mural. Covering 30 meters x 15 meters (100 feet x 50 feet), the graphics depict iconic Taipei and amba experiences, from Taiwan’s famed bubble tea, to retro cinema at SPOT-Taipei Film House and an invitation to ‘Jazz it Up with amba’.

The eastern facade of amba Taipei Zhongshan is covered in green-painted panels that will support a living green curtain formed by a biodiversity of native plants and flowers. This creates a year-round natural shield from the strong morning sunshine. Sunlight filters through the foliage, bathing the guestrooms in dappled light evoking a mystical forest, and keeping rooms naturally cool without over-use of air-conditioning. The living curtain also offers added privacy for the rooms and balconies without having to close the curtains.

In addition to the design features, all mechanical, insulation and energy systems, materials and lighting fixtures have been selected according to their efficiency, as well as their intrinsic stylistic appeal and comfort for guests. These include Low-E glass to maximize light while minimizing ultraviolet and infrared rays, and high-performance VRV (Variable Refrigerant Volume) air-conditioning systems with precise, individual-zone climate controls.

“Through careful facade and interior design choices and highly-efficient mechanical systems, we are helping to conserve environmental resources and at the same time expect to achieve energy savings of around 15 percent at the new amba Taipei Zhongshan,” says Kuo of Bioarchitecture Formosana.

About amba: Creativity, Connectivity, Conservation

Styled to resonate with today’s savvy urban travelers, amba Hotels & Resorts was created by Taiwan’s most established hotel company, Ambassador Hotels & Restaurants, to reflect a contemporary vision of travel. The amba brand celebrates design creativity, responsible consumption and generous service offerings, and instigates collaborations with Taiwan’s hottest architects, designers, artists, music stylists, and mixologists. The team also creates unique experiences for guests by connecting intrinsically with their surrounding neighborhood.

amba Taipei Zhongshan will be the second hotel in the amba collection, following amba Taipei Ximending, which was nominated by Wallpaper* magazine as one of the best hotel openings in 2012. A third amba – amba Taipei Songshan - is scheduled to open atop Taipei’s new Songshan Railway Station complex, five minutes’ drive to Taipei 101, in 2016. The first amba resort, amba Kenting, is also scheduled to open in 2016.

amba Taipei Zhongshan (map)
57-1 Zhongshan North Road, Section 2, Taipei 10412, Taiwan
Taipei Metro Zhongshan Station (exit 3)
Pre-opening Office +886 2 2181 3211 | Reservations +886 2 2525 2828
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