National Taichung Theater

The National Taichung Theater is located in Taichung’s 7th Redevelopment Zone in Xitun District, Taiwan. Designed by world-renowned Japanese architect Toyo Ito, this large-scale cultural complex spans 57,685 square meters and officially opened in 2016. It has since become a cultural landmark of Taichung and one of Asia’s most iconic contemporary theater spaces.

The facility features a Grand Theater (2,007 seats), Playhouse (794 seats), Black Box (200 seats), and an outdoor stage. It also houses restaurants and a rooftop garden, offering a wide range of leisure and arts experiences. The building is renowned for its innovative curved-wall structure and water curtain fireproofing system—technically challenging elements that earned it prestigious awards such as Taiwan’s National Architecture Gold Award and Japan’s “Good Design Best 100.”

After winning an international design competition in 2005, Toyo Ito began construction in 2009. The building was completed in 2014 and officially opened to the public on September 30, 2016. The design emphasizes "coexistence between people and art," with flowing, organic forms that break the traditional boundaries of a theater, encouraging visitors to experience art as part of everyday life.

Program-wise, the theater presents three major annual series:

• NTT Arts NOVA focuses on innovation and interdisciplinary contemporary performances.

• NTT Summer FUN emphasizes family-friendly and musical theater programming.

• NTT Encounter Giants explores history and social issues, encouraging audiences to engage with the world beyond the stage.

The theater is also committed to nontraditional performances, digital art, and soundscape projects, enhancing global artistic exchange and driving the transformation of arts and culture in central Taiwan. Looking ahead, the National Taichung Theater aims to become a “green theater” powered by smart technology, realizing its vision of “art as everyday life, walking with the world.”