Work Begins on NTHU's Chun-shan UMC Concert Hall

2022.01.07

In early 2019, NTHU announced a plan to convert the aging Main Auditorium into a world-class concert hall to commemorate former NTHU president Shen Chun-shan(沈君山), who passed away in 2018. The project has been made possible by a generous donation from the United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), as well as donations from numerous business leaders and alumni. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on January 7, 2022, and the Chun-shan UMC Concert Hall will open its doors in mid-2024. The Hall is expected to become one of the premier concert venues in Northern Taiwan.

The Concert Hall was designed by Albert Xu(徐亞英), an internationally renowned master of architectural acoustics, who has transformed the traditional layout of the auditorium into a vineyard-style seating arrangement in which the seats are arranged radially around the stage, providing the audience with a more immersive listening experience. The plan also includes elevating the roof, nearly doubling the volume of the hall, bringing the reverberation time into the two-second range required for a first-class concert hall, and providing the hall with perfectly balanced acoustic qualities.

The renovations include the use of steel framing to provide structural reinforcement for the entire building, the replacement of the lighting system, the addition of rehearsal and dressing rooms, and making the building wheelchair accessible. The Concert Hall will have a total of 1,283 seats, which is about the average size of first-rate concert halls worldwide. The exterior will retain the distinctive trim appearance of the original auditorium.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, NTHU president Hocheng Hong said that the Auditorium, which was built in 1973, holds a special place in the memories of countless alumni, since for nearly half a century it served as the main venue for ceremonies, performances, and speeches. However, due to the growing size of the university, the auditorium could no longer accommodate the entire student body, so the decision was made to repurpose it into a top-notch concert hall.

President Hocheng pointed out that Shen Chun-shan played a key role in the reestablishment of NTHU in Taiwan; as a classic renaissance man, he was also well versed in both science and the humanities, and an accomplished bridge and go player. As such, President Hocheng maintained that naming the Concert Hall after Shen was a fine way to commemorate one of the most outstanding figures in the history of NTHU.

President Hocheng said that the project is being carried out by the same team that built the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) (衛武營),including architect Lo Hsing-hua(羅興華) and his lighting and sound crew. Albert Xu was the acoustic designer of the Weiwuying and the Philharmonie Luxembourg in Europe, and for many years he has worked with prominent architects worldwide, including I.M. Pei(貝聿銘); his expertise in acoustic design has played a key role in the project right from the start.

President Hocheng also thanked all the donors from various walks of life who have contributed to the project. In addition to the major funding provided by UMC, he thanked Alumni Association president Tsai Jinbu(蔡進步), who donated the funds for the VIP room, which will be named after his parents, Lo, who donated the design, and former NTHU president Liu Chung-laung(劉炯朗), who made the first donation.

UMC co-president S.C. Chien(簡山傑)said that his company’s donation is meant to both commemorate Shen and thank NTHU for its many contributions to education and national development. He added that UMC owes a debt of gratitude to NTHU, which for many years has been a primary source of outstanding personnel for Taiwan's semiconductor industry. He also said that the Concert Hall is sure to become a major draw for music lovers in Hsinchu and beyond.

S.C. Chien noted that he has lived in Hsinchu for more than 30 years, and that this is where his three children grew up; they have been to the Tsing Hua Auditorium many times to participate in various activities. Thus, he is pleased to play a part in the repurposing of this building which holds countless memories for so many Hsinchu residents.

Lo Hsing-hua mentioned that the main challenge in the architectural design was figuring out the original design of the auditorium, and then deciding which elements to retain and which ones to remove, a process that required twice as much time and effort as building a new concert hall. Fortunately, he has an abundance of related experience, including the renovation of the Metropolitan Hall and the expansion of the National Palace Museum, both in Taipei; his design is sure to bring a brand-new experience in terms of architecture, acoustics, and lighting.

The director of the Preparatory Office for the Concert Hall is Victoria Wang(王文儀), who graduated from NTHU’s Department of Foreign Languages in 1986, and formerly served as the artistic director of the National Taichung Theater. She said that she is particularly grateful for the artistic inspiration she received at NTHU, and that the Main Auditorium holds a lot of significance amongst the entire Tsing Hua community, pointing out that nowadays such renovations generally include many different upgrades. Wang expects the Concert Hall to be the best venue in Taiwan for classical music.

“Before long, in addition to the library and labs, Tsing Hua students will also have numerous opportunities to recharge their souls by listening to live classical music,” commented Wang with a smile. She said that in addition to concerts by world-class orchestras, the Hall will also regularly be used for free concerts, and will host concerts put on by the Department of Music. Wang hopes that the completion of the Concert Hall will usher in a new era for NTHU, in which frequent attendance at concerts put on by world-class performers becomes part of the standard college experience of each and every Tsing Hua student.

As a way of getting the ball rolling, the Preparatory Office has arranged four concerts for the first half of this year, to be held at various existing on-campus venues, including the International Conference Hall at the Learning Resource Center (the Macronix Building), the Sun Yun-suan Memorial Center in the TSMC Building, and Lecture Hall A on the Nanda Campus of NTHU. The first program, titled “Paganini's Master and Lover—A Duet for Violin and Guitar,” was held on February 24th. The performers were violinist Li I-ching(李宜錦), the former concertmaster of the National Symphony Orchestra, and guitarist Su Meng-feng(蘇孟風), winner of best instrumental at the Golden Melody Awards.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Chun-shan UMC Concert Hall.

VIPs at the ceremony (left to right): Chengxin Construction chairman Chen Shaojun, (陳少君)Preparatory Office director Victoria Wang(王文儀), College of Arts dean Hsu Su-chu(許素朱), Committee of 100 president Yu Mingguan(余明光), former EMBA alumni association president Lin Huangchang(林黃彰), UMC co-president S.C. Chien(簡山傑), NTHU president Hocheng Hong, Alumni Association president Tsai Jinbu(蔡進步), Chant Oil Company chairman Li Yifa(李義發), Dean of General Affairs Yan Dung-yung(顏東勇), lead architect Lo Hsing-hua(羅興華), and suprervising architect Hong Chingan(洪清安).

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Chun-shan UMC Concert Hall.

President Hocheng said that the project is being carried out by same team that built the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying).

Co-president Chien said that the Tsing Hua Auditorium holds countless memories for Hsinchu residents.

Lo Hsing-hua said that his design is sure to bring a brand new experience in terms of architecture, acoustics, and lighting.

The Concert Hall’s exterior will retain the distinctive trim appearance of the original auditorium.

The Concert Hall will have a vineyard-style seating arrangement.

A cross-section of the Chun-shan UMC Concert Hall.

In front of the Main Auditorium, left to right: UMC co-president S.C. Chien, NTHU president Hocheng Hong, and Alumni Association president Cai Jinbu.

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