Located just steps from Taichung Railway Station – an area experiencing rapid urban renewal – the project site sits amid a growing landscape of cafés, small restaurants, and specialty shops that attract both locals and visitors. Historically, the client’s original “Palace Hotel” occupied this very plot before the building was converted into a cram school. The new hotel reclaims the site and re-establishes the brand’s roots within the city.

With a long, narrow site, meaningful views for guest rooms were only possible along the north and south edges. Early schemes with double-loaded corridors proved inefficient, leading to the development of a split, single-loaded corridor configuration. Pulling the wings apart created a central courtyard atrium – an approach that not only improved daylight and ventilation but also aligned well with setback regulations and enabled a workable structural grid and parking layout within the tight constraints. Height limitations near the railway station, combined with the requirement that every level be connected by the elevator, informed the placement of the core and the overall massing.

Vehicular access was organized through the rear fire alley, allowing the primary street-facing façade to remain clean and understated. While the brand’s preferred room type is compact and highly efficient, the client was open to offering a more spacious option as long as it did not reduce total key count. The allowable FAR and height limit created an opportunity on the uppermost level for a series of maisonette-style rooms that fit within the standard bay width below, effectively using the remaining buildable area without compromising efficiency.

By carefully navigating zoning and code requirements, the scheme also incorporates a generous meeting facility at the top of the building, a fitness center, and two distinct restaurant types – key programmatic elements supporting the client’s goal of achieving a 4-star hotel rating.