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Renowned architects Ray Chen and Hsu-Yuan Kuo transformed the long-idle parking-structure tower. After the PMC and Eslite teams took over, determined to weave the building into the surrounding greenery, they honored nature by letting vegetation climb the walls. Hundreds of specialists overcame every obstacle to create Taiwan’s first large-scale living wall: 120,000 plants grow naturally on the façade, fed by 3 km of irrigation that delivers water and nutrients on schedule. The wall absorbs 200 kg of CO₂ and releases 150 kg of oxygen daily, and in summer it cools the building and cuts power use. Architects, structural engineers, landscape designers and botanists spent more than a year, redrafting thirty-plus times and making countless site surveys and ecological studies, before they solved problems of load, gravity, species selection, irrigation, drainage, typhoon resistance and seismic safety and finally anchored 140,000 plants to the surface. To keep plants and architecture in perpetual symbiosis, the wall carries a complete drip system—over 6,000 emitters, 3 km of pipe and hundreds of micro-sprinklers—so the plants regenerate without replacement and have become home to birds, butterflies and insects. Inside, to fill the mall with sunlight, air and water, the developers sacrificed the prime center core, carving out a five-storey, 20-metre-tall indoor green wall. A recirculating mirror pool and underwater stage host cultural and creative performances. The third-floor Eslite bookstore is the largest in central Taiwan, turning Parkway & Eslite Green into a new landmark of nature and culture. The project won Taiwan’s 2009 National Excellence in Construction Award and, representing Taiwan, the 2010 FIABCI “World Prix d’Excellence”—the real-estate Oscars. The complex also houses a children’s pavilion, music hall, Eslite wine cellar, themed restaurants, a boutique supermarket, a multi-function auditorium, and a 100-ping stationery hall, lifestyle goods, and designer fashion accessories, creating the newest creative-fashion atmosphere—perfect for lovers of boutique, creativity and style. Nearby are the National Museum of Natural Science, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, The Lin Hotel, The Grand Hotel, The Landis Taichung, and Shr-Hwa International Tower, letting visitors mix and match their own joyful one-day itinerary.