Chiayi Municipal Museum of Art

The Chiayi Municipal Museum of Art (Jiamei Museum) boasts a highly distinctive architectural style. Its building is divided into two main areas: the historic building wing and the main museum wing. The historic building wing is a city-designated historic site, formerly the Chiayi Branch of the Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau during the Japanese colonial period. The Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Monopoly business originated in Meiji 33 (1900) with the establishment of the Taiwan Governor-General's Monopoly Bureau. The Chiayi Branch was founded in Taisho 13 (1924), and this particular building was constructed in Showa 11 (1936). It was designed by Umesawa Yoshijiro, then an engineer for the Taiwan Governor-General's Monopoly Bureau. The Chiayi Branch oversaw the tobacco and liquor monopoly operations across Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan, thus serving as a significant testament to industrial history. Its main complex includes the historic monument built in 1936, a wine warehouse from 1954, and a finished tobacco and liquor products warehouse from 1980. The architectural form blends the minimalist style of modern architecture with characteristics typical of periods that extensively used facing bricks. The exterior wall corners are curved, the base is raised, and the windows and lintels form horizontal strips. The facade is adorned with Beitou-produced "scratch-style" tiles, serving as a historical record of the evolution from classical architectural styles to modernism. Notably, the columns at the first and second-floor staircases are designed with octagonal prismatic capitals and shafts, creating a major visual focal point within the space. Architect Huang Ming-Wei and his team, who were involved in the renovation project, adopted the Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) construction method, which has garnered international attention in recent years. In the lobby, they utilized glulam beams and columns instead of steel structures. These choices, both in terms of building materials and architectural concepts, contribute positively to environmental protection and architectural transformation, while also honoring Chiayi's urban history and identity as a "City of Wood."