太平國小 Taiping Elementary School, Keelung

太平國小站立在港西山頭，是基隆港都興盛衰敗的見證者。60年代因應西岸碼頭工人孩子的就學而建校，曾昌盛一時，然隨著產業轉型、人口外移與少子化，於2017廢校。在這迂迴迷宮似的山城，我們想像了一條連接山與海的路徑——從港灣碼頭出發、經由113巷沿著路標踏階而上，穿過太平國小抵達山後的登山步道，串聯城市與山林、人工與自然。怎麼做才能讓想像實現呢？

拆除圍牆是第一個動作，讓原本封閉的校區成為迎接市民的公共場域。新置入的建築元素均為木構造：一座外掛的樓梯，引發人們登高的想望，一座屋頂的瞭望亭回望這整座港灣，聽遊輪入港的聲音；一座十八米的空橋連接後方的登山步道。原始校舍有著清晰的結構韻律，以兩座樓梯區分為前、中、後三段。靠近入口的前段空間置入活化機能作為書店，呼應學校知識傳遞的功能，我們打通部份樓板及墻面，讓空間流動、讓山色漫入，書店是這座城市的閱覽室，迎接人們的大客廳。學校留下來的舊有課桌椅作為閱讀和休憩使用，和如織的遊客產生一種新的詩意連結。後段空間保留前幾年市府輕量改造的活化基地。中段空間則「廢墟化」場景，敲除樓板、鋁門窗、局部牆面及地面層的教室台度，延續廣場鋪面到建築體內，刻意模糊內與外的邊界。

山林和城市、過去和現在，均於此交會。老舊的黑板、斑駁的色彩、最初始的空間肌理，經由充滿敬意的態度敲除而被揭露，反而得再一次地被慎重凝視。走在從前孩童嬉鬧的走廊，進到以前授課的教室，個人的記憶被召喚滙入集體的記憶，成為社會整體潛意識。但願一個小學校舍的再生，能創造一條新的共生路徑、一個探索山海匯聚的通道，也是我們重新回看港灣歷史、想像城市未來的美麗平台。美好記憶的分享總能創造城市新生命。

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Perched on the hill overlooking the West Harbor, Taiping Elementary School bears witness to the rise and fall of Keelung. Established in the 1960s to serve the families of dockworkers, the school once flourished before closing in 2017 due to industrial shifts, population decline, and a falling birthrate.

In this labyrinthine hill town, we envisioned a path connecting the mountain and the sea—a journey starting from the pier, ascending through Lane 113, traversing the former school grounds, and reaching the hiking trails beyond. It is a gesture that weaves together the city and the forest, the artificial and the natural. How could we turn this vision into reality?

We began by removing the walls, transforming the once-enclosed campus into a public domain. All new interventions are crafted in wood: a cantilevered stair that invites people to ascend; a rooftop pavilion for overlooking the harbor and listening to the echoes of arriving ships; and an 18-meter skybridge that reaches out to connect with the hiking trails. The original building follows a clear structural rhythm, divided into front, middle, and back sections by two staircases. In the front section, we introduced a bookstore, echoing the school’s legacy as a place of knowledge. By partially removing floor slabs and walls, we allowed the space to flow and mountain scenery to permeate the interior. Serving as Keelung’s reading room, the bookstore acts as a welcoming living room for the public. The original desks and chairs remain for visitors to use, forging a new, poetic connection with the passing crowd. The back section preserves the light-touch renovation previously implemented by the city government. In the middle section, we intentionally demolished the building back to a ruined state, removing floor slabs, aluminum doors and windows, interior partitions, and the ground-floor classroom platforms. This gesture extends the square’s pavement into the building, deliberately blurring the boundary between inside and out.

Forest and city, past and present, converge here. Weathered blackboards, faded hues, and the primordial textures of the space have been gently uncovered with reverence, inviting us to behold them anew. Walking through hallways where children once played and classrooms where lessons were taught, individual memories are summoned into a collective remembrance, becoming part of the city’s shared subconscious. May the rebirth of this school forge a path of symbiosis—a passage exploring the convergence of mountain and sea, and a platform from which we reflect on the harbor’s history and envision the city’s future. Sharing cherished memories breathes new life into the city.