The Gateless Gate. Entering the Mountain Gate: AtelierNeoE + Group B x Po-Jen Cheng

Through the Alishan Forest Railway, I entered the door of nature. "Nothingness" is a verb; by removing the worldly door, one attains the door of nature.

Concept Explanation

As a domain feeling like a barrier opening up between the artificial and natural worlds, the Alishan Forest Railway is a process of slowly approaching nature. As an industrial settlement, Shuishe寮 Station is one of the earlier populated areas along the railway.
The shared feeling evoked by the Alishan Forest Railway serves as a gateway to nature. "Nothing" acts as a verb; by removing the secular door, one attains the door of nature. By removing the functional door (entrance imagery), one attains the door of thought (spirit), reminding the experiencer that upon the forest railway, having entered the mountain gate, nature is the true Buddha, and it is only by stepping across that one can truly witness nature.

Development process

By intertwining the forms of an 8-helix and a triangular-line railway, it shapes the entrance to the mountain gate, while also evoking the imagery of the gate itself. A deformed arch frame structure delineates the inner and outer shells of the space. Two bamboo shells leaning inward pinch a gap, enticing viewers to enter.
Taking bent bamboo as the original intention for form and structural development, integrated elements are used as production units and bonded with epoxy to create ”bamboo bundles,” forming an enclosed loop as the main structure. A raw Moso bamboo is embedded as the keystone, creating a visually seemingly irrational yet mechanically sound frame structure. Using raw Moso bamboo as rib beams, both the primary and secondary structures are connected using detachable and micro-adjustable U-shaped fasteners as hinged joints.