Alex Ching-Chen Liu (he/him) is a Taiwanese architect currently pursuing the Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design at Columbia University GSAPP. His work explores architecture as a continuum bridging past, present, and future, with a focus on adaptive reuse, urban regeneration and climate consciousness. Before joining GSAPP, he was a senior architectural designer at JJP Architects + Planners, one of Taiwan’s leading firms, where he contributed to a wide range of projects, including industrial adaptive reuse, office complexes, and sustainable laboratory designs. Beyond architecture, he is also an passionate photographer, using the lens as another medium to explore space, memory, and everyday life.
Education
Columbia University GSAPP (New York)
Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design, 2025-2026
National Cheng Kung University (Tainan, Taiwan)
Bachelor of Architecture, 2016-2021
Experience
Columbia University GSAPP (New York)
Teaching Assistant for Architectural Drawing and Representation, 2025-
JJP Architects + Planners
(Taipei, Taiwan)
Senior Architecture Designer, 2022-2025
Zhaoyang Architects (Dali, China)
Architecture Design Intern, 2019-2020
AMBi Studio (Taichung, Taiwan)
Architecture Design Intern, 2018
License
Registered Architect of Taiwan, 2024-
Contact
Email
/
cl4735@columbia.edu
LinkedIn
/
Ching Chen Liu
Instagram
/
alexdoublechen
© Alex CC Liu 2025
Museum Without Ends
Year
2020-2021
Project Type
Academic Thesis Design (NCKU Architecture)
Instructor
Kwang-Tyng Wu
Site Location
Taichung, Taiwan
Award
Thesis Design Award, S. C. Chuang Scholarship (NCKU Architecture)
How can an monumental building fit into the modern city life?
This project reimagines the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung as a museum fully embedded in the city. Once designed as an enclosed institution, the building now sits at the intersection of major urban axes, surrounded by dense public life and future metro access—yet remains disconnected from its surroundings.
The proposal dismantles this boundary by reorganizing programs into a new hierarchy of openness: workshops, libraries, and small halls are made public, while specialized spaces remain controlled. Corridors and atria are replaced with open streets and sun-shaded passages, turning circulation into a fluid movement between indoor and outdoor spaces.
At its heart, a new Learning Center functions as a “department store of natural science,” where knowledge is freely accessed and everyday activities overlap with exhibitions. By opening the ground level to the city and integrating new public programs, the museum becomes not only a place for display but a living part of urban life—balancing freedom and control, institution and city.
Concept Drawing: Unboxing Cabinets of Curiosities
Site Context: Drastic Change of Density
Once on the city’s edge, the museum now lies at the intersection of major urban axes and growing public life—yet its closed form has become a barrier within this dense environment.
Massing Strategy: Cutting into Pieces
Built in phases, the museum is vast yet fragmented. By removing indoor corridors and atria, new open streets weave through the complex, creating space for future extensions.
GF PLAN
4-5F PLAN
3F PLAN
2F PLAN
Liberating the ground floor
A sunken lobby and underground corridor link the halls, while ramps and shaded passages open the ground floor to the city—allowing visitors to move freely between indoor and outdoor spaces.
1/300 Design Model
Long Section
Main Perspective Section
View from New Learning Center
View from New Museum Lobby
View from New Central Passage
© Alex CC Liu 2025