A presidential citation has been awarded to Kao Erh-pan (高而潘), one of the first generation of architects in postwar Taiwan who passed away on Nov. 14 at the age of 95, in recognition of his contributions to Taiwan's contemporary architecture. Culture Minister Lee Yung-te (李永得) presented the presidential citation to Kao's son on Dec. 7.
Kao was born in 1928 in Taipei and graduated from the Department of Architecture of Taiwan Provincial College of Engineering (now National Cheng Kung University) in 1951. Since 1965, Kao served as a teacher at the Department of Architecture at Tamkang University and Chinese Culture University. He was previously the president of the Taipei Architects Association and the National Architects Association.
Kao has dedicated his life to Taiwanese contemporary architecture with his works scattered throughout Taiwan. He has designed a wide range of works including Hu Shih's (胡適) Graveyard, New Tamsui Golf Club, Yue Li Lodge, the Taiwan Fine Arts Museum and many others. Kao earned many awards with his designs and was selected as a member of the Architectural Institute of Taiwan in 1999.
Minister Lee stated that Kao has selflessly dedicated himself to construction projects in Taiwan with his profession in architecture. He observed what our social needs were and designed buildings that satisfy high functional and aesthetic requirements. In terms of system reformation, Kao gathered people in the architecture industry to improve living environments and public safety. Moreover, Kao devoted himself to education and put efforts into grooming the next generations. As someone who kept up with the times, Kao has been regarded as the leading force in Taiwanese contemporary architecture and has been a source of inspiration to a number of other architects.
