Songe d’Été Marais is situated beside the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, a landmark designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Hans Hollein. Surrounded by greenery and steeped in cultural context, the building steps away from the standard aesthetic of residential developments, instead evoking the feeling of a living art museum, where architecture and art meet everyday life.
The Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts District represents a key area in the city’s modern development. As Kaohsiung has moved away from its industrial roots, new creative landmarks and improved infrastructure have redefined the cityscape. In this context, the project embraces both progress and memory, acknowledging the city’s renewed energy.
Kaohsiung HH, designed by Hans Hollein at the age of 75, was his first residential work in southern Taiwan and became his final built project. The building’s design merges postmodern character with functional clarity. Hollein approached the architecture as sculpture, drawing on eastern aesthetics while utilising modernist language. The facade alone is a unique achievement, featuring curved sunshades, a glass curtain exterior, and floating balconies that required complex construction techniques.
The overall architectural language defies convention, highlighting the importance of expressive form. The external wall design,with its wave-like projections, deep shadows, and reflective surfaces, is the only one of its kind globally. Its complexity demanded precision, from the multi-layered insulating glass to the cantilevered balconies extending outward. Inside, the spatial experience continues the concept of living with art. Every piece of furniture has been custom-designed with a blend of surrealist influence and postmodern playfulness.
At the heart of the living room, the large-scale mural Songe d’Été Marais sets the tone, extending a dreamlike sense of nature into the space. Surrounding this focal point, organically shaped furnishings and golden columns create visual rhythm and allow open transitions between areas. Traditional TV walls have been omitted, replaced by projection for uninterrupted sightlines and a more immersive experience. Lighting plays a central role in creating atmosphere. From the moon-inspired pendant lights above the dining table to the rabbit lamp and feather floor lamp in the bedroom, fixtures serve both visual and emotional purposes. These design details create a sense of serenity, paired with warm wood flooring and natural stone. The corridor connecting public and private areas is interpreted as a blank canvas, with free-form wall graphics designed to evolve with the resident. This flexibility continues into the bedrooms, where arcs, colour gradients, and bold material contrasts balance calm with character. Storage and functionality are integrated, whether through hidden cabinets or reconfigurable layouts.
Songe d’Été Marais reflects the philosophy that living spaces can transcend utility. It is an environment that encourages imagination and invites art into the rhythms of daily life.
