The Architecture of XRANGE: Inspired by constraints

Foreword by Aric Chen
Introduction by Aaron Betsky
Interview by James Moore McCown & Grace Cheung
Afterword by Grace Cheung
Edited by Oscar Riera Ojeda

XRANGE was founded by architect Grace Cheung and the industrial designer Royce Y.C. Hong and has over the past two decades combined the design of buildings and objects to become one of the most dynamic and innovative studios in Taiwan, indeed all of Asia. The work is about unifying divergencies, layering complexities, forming abstractions and playing tectonics. It eschews normal project typologies and blurs the lines among residential, commercial and civic buildings to form projects that are rich in materiality and layout, full of unexpected insights into their usage profiles, geographical contexts and programmatic contingencies.

The Architecture of XRANGE provides a privileged insight into how this groundbreaking architectural studio works, especially its innovative approach in which primary inspiration is derived from the constraints of a given project, hence the book title, Inspired by Constraints. This statement also reflects the challenges of practicing in Taiwan, where the dilemmas and constraints of politics and identity run all too real, often to the brink of high tension.

The principals’ cosmopolitan and international backgrounds and outlook and extensive experience have helped the studio establish a bold style—often including distinctive materials that offer original solutions to specific urban contexts across Asia. The studio has garnered widespread notice in the architectural press worldwide. The book shows how XRANGE’s unconventional architecture places an emphasis on systemization and tactility, resulting in audacious but grounded and utterly unique buildings. To do so, the book features texts by the principal architects, leading architecture critics, detailed documentation and exquisite photography, and in-depth examinations of such significant projects as Wandering Walls, Ant Farm House, Stone Cloud, Urban Code Building, Sea Rock, Wave Matrix and many more. The Architecture of XRANGE is a feast for the eyes and the urban intellect.