Revitalizing Kaohsiung’s Old Port:
A Vision from Cihou Lighthouse to the Harbor Warehouses
“We don’t need to compare Warehouse No. 2 with any department store. The priority is to define its unique character, prove that heritage can be good business, and build a localized economy that is authentically Kaohsiung’s.” Kaohsiung Harbor, built during Japanese rule period, has seen Taiwan’s sugar boom, post-war industrial prosperity, and 1980s decline. Today, it is part of a global movement to transform old ports, using heritage regeneration to restore the city’s coastal identity.
For their special publication, the X-Basic Planning team interviewed the Kaohsiung Port Land Development Corporation to learn how this public enterprise applies a holistic vision to redesign the old port area. The interview focused on the key emerging landmarks driving this transformation: KW2, the Kaohsiung Lighthouse, and Dagang Warehouse.
Dreams at the Peak of Qihou Mountain
The regeneration of Kaohsiung Port starts from its symbolic heart: the century-old lighthouse on Cijin’s northern shore. Founded as a joint venture between the Taiwan International Ports Corporation and the Kaohsiung City Government, the Land Development Company is responsible for revitalizing historic structures in the port area. Its mission balances tourism promotion with reopening this long-inaccessible land to the public. A key early project came in 2017, when the newly established company accepted an invitation from the Maritime and Port Bureau to transform the Kaohsiung Lighthouse and its adjacent technicians’ dormitory into a cultural destination open to all.
The challenges of converting a working port facility into a leisure destination were immense. They ranged from installing accessible ramps on rugged paths to strategically locating essential amenities like restrooms and delivery zones for new commercial operations. With the lighthouse still operational, the team’s expertise was tested in separating the private, functional areas for technicians from the public visitor spaces, all while maintaining the building’s daily duties.
The Land Development Company never lost sight of its core vision amidst the complex hardware engineering: the romantic notion of “having coffee at the lighthouse” remained the heart of its operational planning. Thanks to connections from Siao Ben Aiyu and X-Basic Planning, Cijin youth A-Qin established her “Coastline Coffee” at the site, filling the solitary tower with a warm, local atmosphere. Today, travelers climbing Qihou Mountain often pause to savor a cool drink in the sea breeze. Behind them, the Kaohsiung Lighthouse stands sentinel—its beam still guiding ships across the water, its presence now a witness to the quiet, newfound poetry of everyday life on the peninsula.
Old Port Revival Through Its Warehouses
Across the harbor, the continuous row of waterfront warehouses serves as the foundation for the Land Development Company’s expansion of revitalization efforts from individual sites to a wider area. For the long-vacant Warehouses No. 2 and 2-1, the team removed later additions to restore the Li-Ba truss-supported space. By housing new MEP systems within a multi-layer steel structure, they endowed the historic site with modern functionality. Meticulously restored, the original sea-facing windows now flood the interior with sunlight and sea views, while the renovation also revealed a surprise—a vintage hand-painted Kaohsiung Port logo on the second-floor wall.
The true revitalization of this massive warehouse depends not just on commercial activity, but on building a unique and irreplicable experience economy. This requires a deep envisioning of the quintessential harbor life—where one waits for a ferry by watching the sea over coffee, tours Gushan and Cijin on a cultural yacht, and perhaps ends the day falling asleep to the shimmering harbor lights.
Since opening in 2018, KW2 Warehouse has operated on a “shops below, residences above” principle. The first floor features 50 local brands and sea-view dining, while the second floor combines retail, art, and the Muji-renovated ‘KW2 HOSTEL.’ This offers a continuous day-to-night experience, fulfilling its promise as a destination to eat, create, play, and gaze at the sea.
Figure 2: Kaohsiung Port hand-painted logo on the warehouse partition wall. (Credit: Chu Yi-wen, Original Space Studio)
Figure 3. “KW2 Hostel,” a lodging space created through collaboration between KW2 and Muji Renovation. (Photo credit: Chu Yi-wen, Original Space Studio)
A Walking Path That Weaves Urban Memory
The Land Development Company’s vision extends beyond restoring single buildings to creating a connected cultural corridor. The Great Harbor Bridge elegantly links KW2, Pier-2, and the Great Harbor Warehouse, weaving the port back into the urban fabric and connecting it to the Kaohsiung Music Center and New Bay Hub. The result is a vibrant waterfront zone where history, art, and commerce meet.
Kaohsiung’s port regeneration—spanning the Lighthouse, KW2, and the Great Harbor Bridge—not only addresses a universal urban issue but has also developed a unique model, inspired by yet distinct from global benchmarks like Yokohama and Rotterdam.
Explore the complete ‘Pier 2 Warehouse KW2’ story and other revitalization cases in the X-Basic team’s forthcoming book. Coming soon!