【Introduction】

The building that housed the Tainan Prefecture was inaugurated in 1916 (the 5th year of Emperor Taisho). It was seriously damaged by Allied aerial bombardments, and its rooftop was totally destroyed. In 1949 the roof was repaired with a simple wood structure by the Air Force Material Command (later known as Combined Logistics Command or the Joint Logistics Headquarters). The building was handed over to Tainan authority and used as the location of the Tainan City Hall. In 1998, after the Tainan City Hall was relocated, the premises were restored according to their original form by the Preparatory Office of the National Center for Research and Preservation of Cultural Properties. A new annex was built behind the building to provide additional space for laboratory rooms. The building was designed by the famed engineer/architect; Moriyama Matsunosuke and is located at the corner of the Mingsheng Green Circle. Affected by roads on both sides, it is built on a V-shape layout in a late Renaissance style. The main entrance on the corner of the building faces the roundabout. The portico features a combination of round and square columns, and cylindrical guard towers are positioned on both the left and right sides. A double-corridor design is adopted for the interior office space. The base is built with natural stone slabs and windows are installed for ventilation. The walls are treated differently on each floor. On the ground floor a stone-imitating washed granolithic finish is used; on the second floor the walls are stacked with red bricks. The roof is a French Mansard roof with a row of circular dormers. The overall design for the old Tainan Prefectural Hall has a unique and magnificent presence, and has exemplified the architectural style of a government building constructed during the Japanese reign of Taisho.

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