There's yet another hidden gem in the vast stretches of re-purposed land in the far eastern districts. It lies quietly embedded in the new hub of the city of Taipei. It had been a number of years since we'd gone this route, as it was a long forgotten playground for us in our early years here. The then new and shining Living Mall had provided all sorts of solitude which has long since been replaced by more modern, gleaming edifices much closer to home.
Taipei's Cultural and Creative Park is an eclectic mix of re-used urban space and incredible new urban shopping structure all blended into a creative and artistic melting pot. There are magnificent lines of old railway workshops and the old Taipei tobacco factory with cavernous spaces within each one that held all manner of design and creative exhibitions. We just scratched the surface and were lucky to catch the dying days of the Taiwan Design Expo which has been going for a few months already. There were amazing design creations by the burgeoning design set of Taipei, everything from pottery to lighting to electric bikes!
Another, equally amazing discovery was the nearby Eslite Spectrum retail hub housed in a soaring wild design of a building almost in the shape of an eagle's wing. It's sweeping forecourt hosted all sorts of entertainment, stalls and exhibits of its own, just tantalizing enough to lure the exploring type inside to another, even more capricious world.
A dazzling display enveloped us upon entry. The vaulted spaces sailed high above us as we gazed in wonder at the assembled shops and areas. The floor plan was almost a leaf shape, tapering away to points at either end of the long, narrow building. The shops were delineated by sweeping walls of glass with eye-catching window displays, or else completely open to allow foot traffic to meander in and out of their assigned space.
A palpable sense of cool and design chic emanated from every area. It felt like there was a hand crafted, fixed gear pushbike display outside every second shop, their store brand emblazoned on thick, rustically tooled and tanned saddlebags. A crafty tang of scent wafted through the air, heavy with leather and incense, essential oils and hand made soaps. The stores, or many of them, not only sold products, but incorporated lessons of some artistic endeavour or other. Painting, woodworking toys, calligraphy and even glass-blowing were on offer. People were engaged and flowing around all the spaces, interacting with the products and salespeople....it was unlike any retail experience we'd ever had. The Eslite company had their signature stamp on the third floor with a giant book haven interspersed with lifestyle hubs filled with yet more interesting, unusual or unique items. At either end of the leaf shapes on each floor were restaurants of differing cuisine with pocket sized cafes dotted along the front glass walls.
I was amazed, when we went down to the basement food court, to see a sign with the word "pie" just peeking out from behind some tables. Not wanting to get my hopes up too much, as we approached we saw more and more evidence of the holy grail: a pie warmer with what looked like the genuine product reared from the crowd and a sign of "Pie Pie: Australian Meat Pies" came into full view. Wow! Excitement was an understatement! I could barely contain myself as the meals were prepared, and each pie came with a serve of mashed potato and vegetables, as well as a sachet of tomato sauce of course. The pastry was delicate and light, hardly a trace of sweetness, and the filling was meaty and rich. There were no vegetarian options so Cass picked the bacon from a mushroom, bacon and chicken number. There was something slightly wrong with the overall sensation, an indeterminate problem: and yes, I'm a connoisseur! Regardless, I'm stoked to say the least!
We completed our day by wandering around the outdoor stalls for a while till, slightly leg weary, we made the long trek to Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall MRT station, then train home, changing lines once half-way. We'd discovered an exciting new playground, one for which we barely scratched the surface and we'll be back soon. We'd had a minor adventure the day before too, going to see "Dr. Strange" at the movies before a familiar dining experience at "The Spice Shop". We had a very full, and slightly exhausting, weekend!
Photos: trusting scooter owners with two brand new helmets, then various shots from in and outside Songshan Creative Park and Eslite "Spectrum". Here's a full version photo album. The video for glassblowing is also here.