Located at the junction of Taiwan’s Mountain and Coastal Lines, Changhua Station serves over 20,000 passengers daily. Just beside it stands Taiwan’s only remaining operational roundhouse, creating a dynamic intersection between people, trains, and time.

 

In conjunction with the 2025 Taiwan Design Exhibition in Changhua, the Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI) and the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) have jointly launched two initiatives — the “Changhua Station Micro-Renovation” and the “Industrial Landscape Renewal of the National Monument Roundhouse.” Together, they mark a new chapter that connects heritage preservation with contemporary design.

 

Changhua Station Micro-Renovation: A Journey Guided by Light and Color

 

The renovation reconfigures the lighting and color system of the station, unifying the visual language across service counters and enhancing signage clarity. A continuous lighting band now links key functional zones, offering travelers a clear, intuitive wayfinding experience amid the bustling rhythm of the station.

 

Years of visual clutter—caused by accumulated items and mismatched signage—have been addressed through careful decluttering, spatial reorganization, and a cohesive color strategy. These changes restore focus to the essentials of passenger service, presenting a refreshed and orderly environment that allows travelers to feel both clarity and calm in motion.

 

▲ Key Focus 1: Before｜Poor indirect lighting and unclear signage made the concourse appear dim and confusing.

 

▲ Key Focus 1: After｜Integrated and simplified wayfinding with new lighting bands brightened and clarified the concourse.

 

▲ Key Focus 2: Before｜Insufficient lighting and no accessible counter created a cluttered ticketing area.

 

▲ Key Focus 2: After｜Separated front and back areas to improve service zoning and circulation flow.

 

▲ Key Focus 3: Before｜Scattered facilities and mismatched wall colors made Platform 1 visually chaotic.

 

▲ Key Focus 3: After｜Consolidated facilities and centralized services to enhance overall quality.

 

▲ Key Focus 4: Before｜Exposed wiring and worn wall surfaces made the overpass look outdated.

 

▲ Key Focus 4: After｜Unified piping and indirect lighting to harmonize with the station environment.

 

 

Reinterpreting Memory Through Modern Design

 

The TR Bento Shop is another focal point of the renovation. Its façade adopts corrugated metal panels inspired by the Guanghua Express, blending a sense of nostalgia with a refreshed, modern look.

 

This design approach extends to details such as lighting, ceilings, and charging tables, where metal textures and minimal forms reinterpret classic TRA wooden sleeper benches, preserving their material memory while transforming them into contemporary furniture that resonates with the past.

 

▲ Key Focus 5: Before｜The commercial zone lacked cohesion, with bento shop, convenience store, and travel center scattered inefficiently.

 

▲ Key Focus 5: After｜Added lighting bands to enhance spatial clarity and create a brighter, more open commercial area.

 

 

Upgrading the TRA Wayfinding System Changhua Station as the First Demonstration Site

 

Changhua Station serves as both a design response for the Taiwan Design Exhibition and the first demonstration site for the TRA Wayfinding System Optimization Project.

 

Through extensive field research across different station types, TDRI and the signage design team developed a comprehensive, traveler-friendly system that aligns with user cognition and fills previous information gaps.

 

In central Taiwan, for instance, many stations lacked clear guidance on the Mountain, Coastal, and Chengzhui Lines, and accessibility routes such as elevators were easily overlooked.

 

By reorganizing signage categories and verifying usability with diverse traveler groups, the new system offers an enhanced, intuitive navigation experience—paving the way for future upgrades across the TRA network.

 

 

 

▲ Key Focus 6: After｜Redesigned and optimized the signage system—Changhua Station now serves as the first demonstration site for the TRA wayfinding upgrade.

 

 

Reviving Industrial Heritage. The Living Roundhouse and Its Renewed Landscape

 

Built in 1922, the Changhua Roundhouse remains Taiwan’s only functioning roundhouse and was designated a National Monument in 2022.

 

The renovation adheres to the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, ensuring no alteration to its original façade or structure, while enhancing the surrounding environment through selective removal of unnecessary postings and temporary fixtures.

 

Key entry points such as the main gate, visitor information board, souvenir shop, and exit were redefined with weathering steel as the primary material, unifying the site’s tone while reflecting its industrial character.

 

The addition of native greenery brings a gentle vitality to the steel landscape, allowing the century-old site to breathe naturally.

 

▲ Key Focus 7: Before｜The National Monument lacked a defined main entrance identity.

 

▲ Key Focus 7: After｜Used weathering steel to integrate with the landscape and define the roundhouse’s main façade.

 

▲ Key Focus 8: Before｜Outdated trees and unclear signage weakened the visitor flow.

 

▲ Key Focus 8: After｜Redesigned the entrance landscape and consolidated signage to highlight the heritage character.

 

▲ Key Focus 9: Before｜The shop façade and landscaping conflicted with the site’s historic aesthetic.

 

▲ Key Focus 9: After｜Redesigned the triangular garden area with natural greenery, adding a sense of vitality to the heritage site.

 

▲ Key Focus 10: Before｜Unclear markings and disorganized exits diminished the site’s legibility.

 

▲ Key Focus 10: After｜Redefined the exit landscape using materials and greenery to create a refreshed impression.

 

 

A Working Site, A Living Museum

 

The turntable, still operating today, continues to fascinate visitors from around the world. Beyond machinery, the site’s chimneys, slogans, and industrial traces form part of a living historical narrative.

 

In the renovation, the team used weathering steel and subdued hues to distinguish new signage from the old, maintaining contrast with existing red warning texts and orange safety lines—emphasizing the authenticity of the working environment while avoiding visual disruption.

 

Informational signage and interpretive stops were also added along the visitor path, allowing visitors to engage not only visually but also intellectually, deepening their understanding of the roundhouse’s role in Taiwan’s railway history.

 

▲ Key Focus 11: Before｜Excessive signage and objects cluttered the rest area.

 

▲ Key Focus 11: After｜Removed unnecessary elements and integrated the landscape to create a more refined rest area.

 

 

Coming Soon: Ershui Station Renewal

Gateway to the Jiji Line and Central Taiwan Tourism

 

Also in Changhua, Ershui Station—located at the intersection of the Western Trunk and Jiji Branch Lines—has stood for over a century. As a historic gateway to destinations such as Jiji, Sun Moon Lake, Xitou, and Nantou’s inner mountains, it holds both cultural and touristic significance.

 

Under the Urban Aesthetics Program, TDRI and TRA are jointly completing the “Jiji Line Signage and Ershui Station Improvement Project.” Once finished, Ershui will become Taiwan’s first demonstration station designed and branded for a tourist branch line, allowing this century-old station to welcome travelers once again as a key hub for regional revitalization.

 

▲ 2023 Design Movement For Public｜TRA Jiji Line – Ershui Station

 

 

Guided by: Ministry of Transportation and Communications, R.O.C.

Organizer: Taiwan Railway Corporation, Ltd.

Co-organizer: Taiwan Design Research Institute, TDRI

Design Lead: Studio Whispace + Architects 

Lighting Design: WEDO Lighting 

Changhua Station Wayfinding Research & Planning: Taiwan Design Research Institute, Path & Landforms

Roundhouse Visual & Signage Design: Groundfic

Construction: Liang You Construction Co., Ltd.

Photography: Yuchen Chao Photography