Department of Cultural Affairs

Original buildings of Taihoku College (now National Taiwan Normal University)

Originally founded as Taiwan Provincial College and later renamed Taihoku College, this institution was created to cultivate an intellectual class to assist Japanese colonial administration. This group of buildings, including the Lecture Hall, Administration Building, Wenhui Hall and Puzi Hall, transplanted the university campus style of Europe, expressing the academic aura of Western centers of learning and reflecting a romantic imagination.
Designed by the Japanese colonial government’s civil engineering department, the Lecture Hall was informed by classical architectural forms in a typical Gothic Revival style. The rooftop parapet is rendered in the manner of ancient castle battlements. All doors and windows are shaped in a lancet arch design, and the bay windows serve to introduce light inside the building. The interior design is orderly, with distinct levels. The vault used to store the imperial order for education is still found in the wall behind the rostrum.