Old Capital Alleys, Ideal Life Encounters:
’Tainan ArtDeCorner’ fills an old house with everyday comfort
“Through the restoration and activation of this old house, we strive to ‘leave a legacy that outlives our own.'” What began as a flour factory in the Japanese rule period, then served for decades as a fragrant alleyway noodle shop, has been gently reborn as Tainan ArtDeCorner. This contemporary community space embodies the simple yet profound design philosophy of the Harmony Environmental Architecture Design team.
Documenting the old house for their book, the X-Basic Planning team visited Harmony’s architects Huang Chieh-erhh and Chung Hsin-I, and ArtDeCorner’s director Li I-chen in Tainan to learn how they infused a historic space with the enduring warmth of daily life.
An unexpected encounter with ideal life
Before settling here, Tainan was just a name on a map to Mr. Huang and Ms. Chung, not a home. Originally developing their careers separately in Yilan and Hsinchu, the couple moved to Tainan on their mentor’s advice to be together. There, they eventually found a home through a fortunate chain of events.
The connection began with a chance piece of news. In 2008, a tip from a classmate of Ms. Chung led the couple to a vacant colonial house. They visited it by motorcycle that same day. At that time, both the Western-style house and the future ‘ArtDeCorner’ noodle shop were Tu family properties, managed by their adopted daughter, Mrs. Fan. This connection allowed them to meet the owner, Mr. Tu, and secure the rental of the Western-style house—a space that would function as both their home and office for the next ten years.
In the architects’ memory, Mr. Tu retained the poise of a Japanese-rule-period gentleman—always in a suit and hat, leaning on his cane, and unfailingly thoughtful in bringing gifts for every visit. After Mrs. Fan’s passing, the elderly Mr. Tu made a heartfelt request to the architect couple, asking them to purchase the land and building that once housed the noodle shop.
Mr. Tu was candid: with his family scattered, he refused to entrust the cherished ancestral property to strangers. He offered it to the couple at a favorable price, wishing for them to build their dream home and settle in Tainan for good.
Architect Huang Chieh-erh smiled, reflecting on their journey to putting down roots in Tainan: “It feels like the house was looking for us.” Rather than demolishing the old house, they used their professional skills as architects to restore it, honoring the deep trust they had been given.
An Old Flour Mill’s New Breath
At the entrance to Dapu Street, the simply designed “ArtDeCorner” holds the collective memories of generations. The story of this old house begins almost a hundred years ago, with the hum of machinery and the shouts of workers.
Originally a glutinous rice flour factory built in 1927, the old house was later bought by the Tu family from Penghu, renamed “Jinchang Flour Factory,” and partially rented to other small factories. With the passage of time, the factory ceased operations and was passed down to the Tu family’s adopted daughter, Mrs. Fan, and her husband. They ran a noodle shop there for sixty years, its steaming bowls feeding both the community and the hometown memories of a generation. After Mrs. Fan and her husband passed away, the old house that had seen both industry and community fell silent, waiting for the Harmony team to awaken it once more.
Nevertheless, the road to revitalization was far from easy. Having purchased Tu family’s business—the one of deep sentimental value—the two architects found themselves without the funds needed for its restoration. At their most uncertain moment, the dengue fever outbreak in Tainan unexpectedly provided the turning point they needed.
The urgent need to repair the damaged roof—to prevent stagnant water and mosquitoes—coincided with the launch of the Ministry of Culture’s “Private Old Building Preservation and Regeneration Project,” which offered a vital solution. The Harmony team, despite being on a staff trip in Finland, managed to meet the tight deadline by turning a snowy library into a temporary office and submitting their application in the nick of time. The revitalization of “ArtDeCorner” was further supported by the Tainan Historical District and Old House Revitalization Subsidy Program
In 2020, the restoration project formally began. The renovation revealed two significant historical layers. First, the unexpected discovery and restoration of a hidden wooden loft, now illuminated by new skylights, eliminated the damp, dark interior conditions. Second, removing the wall coverings uncovered the original brick gable walls, with the mortar lines between old and new bricks serving as a tangible record of past repairs. Part of the supporting traditional reed-bamboo composite wall was left exposed as a historical display, offering insight into the ancestral architectural wisdom of using local materials.
Finding Life’s Essence Around the Corner
Following a two-year restoration, the old flour mill reopened in 2022 as ‘ArtDeCorner’. Throughout the restoration, the team persistently asked how the building could integrate into the neighborhood organically, avoiding the disruptive fate of a typical tourist destination. It was during this phase that team member Li I-chen found her calling, imprinting ArtDeCorner with a uniquely warm and delicate character through her skill and dedication.
Li I-chen’s professional foundation in architecture is complemented by a passion for cooking, handcrafts, and the subtle aesthetics of daily life. In its early phase, ArtDeCorner spent six months experimenting intensively with history-themed meal boxes, markets, and workshops. Though these efforts attracted many visitors, the demands of daily operations eventually prompted the team to pause and refocus on their core mission.
ArtDeCorner is now a chameleonic space. It alternately serves as an annex for Harmony Office on closed days and a vibrant venue for creative events when open. This flexible, sustainable approach ensures the space remains dynamically alive.
In the interplay of activity and tranquility, the small corner finds its true meaning—restoring not just a building, but the vital connections between community, place, and memory. After Mr. Tu’s funeral, his family came to the small corner and, as Architect Huang Chieh-erhh shares, heard the team sharing warm memories of his gentle character. To their surprise, this was completely different from the stern, unsmiling father in their memory, as though the space had unlocked a forgotten side of him.
For the Harmony team, the true value of this small corner goes beyond its physical space. It is where past stories reemerge and kindred spirits find the essence of life in simple, everyday moments.
The complete story of ‘ArtDeCorner’ and more cases of old house revitalization will be included in the X-Basic team’s new book launching in August. Stay tuned!