http://saxophonic.vox.com

Nature inspires local architect

Jun 21, 2008

Publication Date：01/19/2007 Section：Panorama
By Alexander Chou

The term "restaurant chain" conjures up images of fast-food joints built from the same blueprint, eliciting indifference from customers. In stark contrast, Hsieh Li-shiang's restaurants, each called "Five Dime Driftwood House," always get a strong reaction. When she opened her fifth restaurant in Taipei's Neihu District in 2006, it kicked off a new flurry of debate on the Internet over Hsieh's artistic merits.

Whatever the Internet users' verdict may be, Hsieh was responsible for designing every aspect of her restaurants, from the airy interiors, nature-inspired exteriors, down to the personally made plates and cups. The entire restaurant served one vision.

Hsieh hails from Sigang Township, Tainan County. She grew up on a farm, where she worked in the fields alongside her parents, growing sweet potatoes and peanuts. Living close to nature became the key influence on her aesthetic when she began to design buildings, Hsieh explained. When she was 8 years old, she made a tree house using wood. What started out as a childhood whim became her lifelong passion. From then on, Hsieh always dreamt about building palaces out of driftwood.

The tree house experience would serve her well when she attempted to make something on a larger scale in 1992 in Baihe Township, Tainan County. According to Hsieh, she culled building materials from the driftwood, stones and oyster shells picked off the beach.

On one gathering session, she saw some large pieces of driftwood in the distance. As she got closer, the reflection off a half-dollar coin on the wood caught her eye, inspiring the name of her restaurant. Unfortunately, there were not enough materials among the beach debris to finish construction. As a farm worker, she did not have the necessary cash to pursue such a costly venture on her own. The Hsiehs' main asset was their family plot. After her father's death and with her mother's blessing, Hsieh sold her late father's farmland to raise money for her project, in addition to taking out a bank loan. The total cost of construction was about US$200,000. She completed her first driftwood restaurant in 1992.

One of her restaurant's most loyal customers was Chen Wei-yi, an antique collector and businessman from Taichung. Admiring the beautiful, natural atmosphere of the restaurant, he thought, "She will be famous throughout the world one day." According to Hsieh, he approached her, saying, "If you ever need a partner, give me a call."

Hsieh was so engrossed in building her dream house that she neglected the details, namely getting the proper government permits and licenses for construction. Her lack of formal training had caught up with her, and she was blindsided by the consequences. For violating the law, the government demolished the first "Five Dime Driftwood House." Out of funds, her dream in ruins, she remembered the man who had offered to be her partner. Hsieh called him, based on nothing other than his verbal commitment. Chen kept his word, and their partnership is still going strong, five restaurants later.

Hsieh and Chen's first collaboration was to build a new "Five Dime Driftwood House" in Sinying City, Tainan County. Their working relationship remained the same ever since: Chen provided the capital; Hsieh designed the buildings and ran the restaurants. Thanks to Chen's financial backing, Hsieh was able to conceive projects increasingly grander in scope. The latest branch in Neihu cost about US$6 million, she said.

While most architects undergo years of study, she was only a graduate of junior high school. Operating entirely on instinct, she started each project by first building a scale model. Once she was satisfied, she called in architects to draw up the blueprints based on her model. When construction began, Hsieh was on-site almost all the time, personally supervising the contractors so they did everything to her exact specifications.

When problems arose, Hsieh adopted a Taoist attitude, she said. "My philosophy in constructing a house is to be like water. When water meets an obstacle, it always flows in another direction. I always change my original idea and come up with a new one." For Hsieh, building a house is similar to painting a picture: "They are meant to express the person's inner self." She did acknowledge they were not identical, however, adding, "Architecture is a bit different. It depends on creative expression within a full three-dimensional space."

Her striking work has drawn comparisons to a noted architect from the other side of the world. "Her architectural style does resemble some of the characteristics of the famous Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudi," said Gong Shu-jhang, assistant professor of architecture at Chiao Tung University. He added, "Both discard straight lines from their works, and blend natural elements onto the interior and exterior of their buildings."

Nature was a recurring motif in Hsieh's buildings. She enjoyed using driftwood, dark-colored bricks, oyster shells and rocks of various shapes. Most importantly, she stressed that trees--a symbol of Mother Nature--were an integral part of her works. Trees were not just planted around the building in a garden. For her restaurant in Taichung, they were planted within the building.

Hsieh's architectural style was consistent from building to building. To make the tables and chairs, she used rail ties. At the entrance, she had aged wooden doors that slid open automatically. She decorated the waiting area with driftwood sculptures and oil paintings that resembled the curves of a woman's body. "As a woman myself, I appreciated the shape of the female form," she said. "It represents the unique quality and tenderness in a woman," Hsieh explained.

After achieving success in the south, Hsieh finally decided to expand to the north, opening a "Five Dime" restaurant in the Neihu District of Taipei. Her newest restaurant was supposed to look like two women dancing. Despite enjoying good reviews in the past, Hsieh showed some trepidation over her latest venture. She was not sure if northerners would accept her art.

"In the south, I'm more relaxed. But in Taipei, it's more competitive, space is so limited and there are many regulations to follow. I'm not so sure they would appreciate my work," Hsieh confessed. "I have never spent so much time and effort on a project until this one in Neihu, which will probably be my last creation." She considered her Taipei "Five Dime" house her most daring and most representative work, something she might not be able to top.

Opinions of her work run the gamut from awe to criticism. Hu Wen-chang, a 23-year-old student in the Graduate Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning at Chinese Culture University, said that Hsieh's work was "daring, uniquely well-crafted and impressive for someone with only a junior high school education."

Gong offered his views of Hsieh's latest creation. "Some regard it as visual trash. There is one criticism I have. I think her work in Neihu is too extravagant. However, I do think you find the designer's creativity and effort in every corner of the restaurant," he commented. "Who knows? Hundreds of years from now, her architecture might become the only thing that reminds people of our city."

Tai-ke in the making

Jun 13, 2008
Post a comment

This week has been so crazy; everyone's busy preparing for the audit so it's been pretty taxing... Aie... The job can get really mundane at times and sometimes I don't even have anything to do (so it can be depressing), but thankfully I have a bunch of wacky neighbours whom I can disturb whenever I fancy. Especially 活潑美女，氣質美女 & our self-proclaimed 帥哥-- it amazes me how they can actually put up with a noise hazard around them everyday at work! If I don't go on exchange during summer break next year I'll probably be back to haunt them... And I discovered 3 fellow Taiwan-lovers during lunch yesterday!!! I think our conversation about Taiwan during lunch actually had the effect of improving my appetite. Hahaha... =D Whoever thought I will actually enjoy working at WH?

Here are some of my fave pics from my trip (I will upload more later.):