Taipei

Located on a hillside in Beitou, the site overlooks the cityscape while its rear edge directly adjoins an existing residential neighborhood. Originally conceived as a retreat and care facility for elderly practitioners, the project sought to balance spiritual contemplation with the realities of an urban residential context.

Rather than pursuing the conventional ambition of creating a landmark religious building, RCPA+ approached the project from the opposite perspective: how a spiritual space could quietly integrate into the surrounding community. In section, the building responds to the neighboring residences at the rear through a series of segmented screens that partially envelop the main volume, creating an intermediate layer between the interior and exterior. Architect compares this outer skin to the *haiqing*, the traditional robe worn by Buddhist practitioners—simple and understated in appearance, yet containing layers of hidden functions.