The 300-Metre Memory: Reimagining the Airport “Non-Place” at Taoyuan T3
Lead designer and artists Yen-Ting Cho next to Gateway to Taiwan: Island Tales - Installation at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan, No.5 Golden Voyage. Gate D13. © YEN TING CHO Studio. Photo credit: Han Yueh Liang.
Airports are spaces defined by the paradox of being somewhere and nowhere all at once. For most, the airport is a sterile transit zone, a place we pass through rather than arrive in. Defined by the rhythmic hum of moving walkways and the quiet anonymity of departure lounges, these environments were famously dubbed “non-places” by anthropologist Marc Augé. However, at the new Terminal 3 of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, YEN TING CHO Studio is challenging this neutrality, transforming a standard transit corridor into a profound cultural gateway.
Mountain Melodies, Heavenly Light honors Taiwan's unique mountains and lush forests, infused with the rhythm of indigenous cultures and music. It depicts the changing perspective along mountain paths, before entering into the bright skylight at the peak of the summit. Installation at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan, No.4 Mountain Melodies, Heavenly Light . Gate D14.©YEN TING CHO Studio. Photo credit: Han Yueh Liang.
With the launch of Gateway to Taiwan: Island Tales, the terminal’s North Concourse has been reimagined as a 300-metre narrative landscape. The installation does not ask the traveler to stop and stare; instead, it moves with them. Stretching parallel to the terminal’s high-speed walkways, the artwork unfolds in a continuous loop.
Dancing Circles explodes with vibrant colors and swirling concentric patterns. It reinterprets Taiwan’s circular motifs, from lanterns to tables, evocative of blooming flowers or dazzling fireworks, to capture the island’s exuberant spirit, creativity and vitality. Installation at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. No.1 Dancing Circle. Gate D17. © YEN TING CHO Studio. Photo credit: Han Yueh Lian.
“We imagined the airport journey as a Möbius strip,” explains artist Yen-Ting Cho, “one that is continuous, cyclical, and unending.”
This sense of looping continuity is reflected in the artwork’s visual language, where the transitions between sections feel fluid rather than abrupt. Rather than relying on literal symbols or static landmarks, the studio utilized its bespoke digital system, mov.i.see, to weave a semi-abstract tapestry. It is a process of human-computer co-creation that distills the very essence of Taiwan into a fluid visual stream.
Tech Island celebrates the technology that drives Taiwan’s economy. It distills the essence of the form and sheen of a semiconductor wafer, weaving itself into the fabric of our everyday lives, to symbolize Taiwan’s relentless drive for innovation. Installation at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan, No.2 Tech Island - Gate D16. © YEN TING CHO Studio. Photo credit: Han Yueh Liang.
“Using data visualization technologies, we reflect Taiwan’s diverse landscapes and layered cultural memory,” Yen-Ting Cho notes. “The work does not attempt to define the island through singular icons, but instead through rhythm, atmosphere, and movement.”
Soaring Flocks uses the metaphor of flight to underscore the diverse ethnicities and immigrant histories that shape modern Taiwanese culture. The houndstooth pattern echoes the essence of the ‘thousand birds’, optimistically symbolizing liberation and freedom for all. Installation at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. No.3 Soaring Flock. Gate D15. © YEN TING CHO Studio. Photo credit: Han Yueh Liang.
What makes Island Tales so unique is its architectural intelligence. In a terminal designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the art must harmonize with vast structural scale and constant passenger flow. The studio leaned into this challenge by designing the work specifically for the “fragmented perspective” created by the terminal's columns. As passengers glide past, the artwork reveals itself in rhythmic glimpses, ensuring that even a fleeting look leaves what Yen-Ting Cho describes as “a trace, a memory of color, movement, and texture.”
Shifting Shoreline contemplates the interplay between Taiwan’s oceans and heavy industries. It hints at the delicate equilibrium between the forces of nature and human endeavour, and symbolizes the island’s outward-looking spirit, combining strength with humility. Installation at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. No.6 Shifting Shoreline - Gate D12. Detail. ©YEN TING CHO Studio. Photo credit: Han Yueh Liang.
The seven distinct chapters of the work, ranging from the ethereal Heavenly Light to the vibrant, pulsing Cityscape, serve as symbolic translations of the island’s environmental and industrial layers.“None of the seven artworks are tied to one single place,” Yen-Ting Cho emphasizes, “each part symbolically reflects layered aspects of Taiwanese culture, heritage, and industry.”
To bring this vision to life, the studio spent two years researching the island’s geographic and social dimensions, eventually translating these findings into high-resolution UV-resistant prints on honeycomb aluminum.
Golden Voyage expresses the spiritual desire for peace and harmony. Its warm colors and gentle patterns are symbolic of the mighty sky and shimmering stars, which forge a sense of eternal connection and carry our love, hopes and aspirations. Installation at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. No.5 Golden Voyage - Gate D13. © YEN TING CHO Studio. Photo credit: Han Yueh Liang.
Cityscape anticipates the journey home, by viewing Taiwan from above. An intriguing digital landscape unfolds, blending traditional ink wash with pixelated imagery to reveal infinite layered possibilities between this optimistic, feisty island and the world beyond. Installation at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. No.7 Cityscape - Gate D11. © YEN TING CHO Studio. Photo credit: Han Yueh Liang.
As Taiwan prepares for the full unveiling of Terminal 3, Gateway to Taiwan: Island Tales stands as a statement of intent. It proves that public infrastructure can be more than just a feat of engineering; it can be an infrastructure for experience. In a space built for speed and transit, the studio has introduced a moment of reflection, positioning the airport not just as a hub of logistics, but as a vessel for storytelling. As Yen-Ting Cho concludes, the project captures the emotional pivot of the traveler, “one that moves between the feelings of arriving, leaving, and returning.”