Taipei City Government

Of the 44 entries from Taiwan that won the Good Design Award in Japan, U-mkt clinched the Best 100 Award with entries from other countries to become one of the top 100 award-winning entries of the year. In addition to being invited to join the Good Design Award special exhibition in Midtown, Tokyo, U-mkt was also awarded the Top 20 Gold Award to win another important international award for Taiwan.

Founded in 1957, The Good Design Award is the only general design evaluation system in Japan and it is considered one of the 4 major design awards in the world. This year, the Good Design Award organizer has received 4,772 entries from 20 countries and 1,420 winning entries were selected by 90 judges from Japan and across the world.

According to the Taipei City Government’s Department of Economic Development, U-mkt is located on Sanshui Street in Wanhua District and it is the first historic market in the city, with a history of over 8 decades since its construction. In 2006, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs officially declared it a municipal historic monument. In 2013, Taipei City Market Administration Office completed the historic monument's restoration project and Jut Land Development secured the 9-year management rights through public tender.

U-mkt was officially opened on March 25, 2017, with the theme of food education, cultural promotion and regional regeneration. Moreover, activities and educational courses are held from time to time to revitalize the overall space and shape the imagery of U-mkt. After U-mkt underwent cultural heritage transformation, young people are more willing to come to the market, in turn generating awareness in the market and vendors around the market, encouraging them to invest more efforts to upgrade it into a tourist market, thereby leading to a positive outcome. On October 7, 2019, U-mkt received the 2019 Outstanding Award in the Management and Maintenance of Cultural Heritage from the Ministry of Culture and the Top 20 Gold Award at the 2019 Good Design Gold Award. It is, therefore, hoped that other old markets can also learn from this market's experiences and generate more possibilities to ensure the brighter future of traditional markets.

CEO Li Yen-Liang of Jut Foundation for Arts and Architecture commented that U-mkt was reopened in 2017 with a new role in the contemporary era of propagating local knowledge, continuing the traditional market culture and envisioning lifestyles as a public venue. Now, more than 2 years since its reopening, U-mkt has gradually taken root locally and its steady venue management approach has garnered international accolades. He thanked everyone who has been so supportive along the way including the partners at East Sanshui Street Market, Xinfu Market and the Wanhua Community, for they have helped to unleash the full potential and value of the venue.

Good Design Award Japan's overseas organizer Makiko Tsumura and board member of the World Design Organization (WDO) suggested that U-mkt is a perfect example of the cultural renaissance of an old town community and the successful transformation of historic architecture! The project has not only preserved the U-shaped architecture of the historic market building constructed in the old Wanhua District during the Japanese Colonial Period, but also opened up U-mkt as a public venue that doubles as an extension to the nearby Xinfu Market through simple yet innovative spatial transformations, thereby revitalizing the inclusiveness and vivacity of the old community.