The Blue is a hotel in Taipei, Taiwan. It is the flagship hotel of the Taiwanese hotel group Just Inn.
History
The building was originally constructed in the 1970s as an office of an insurance company. In the subsequent years, it operated as a mixed-use hotel with retail units on the ground and first floors.Tszwai So completes ‘Emotionalist’ retrofit of Taiwan hotel - Architects' Journal, 4 March 2024
The hotel was rebuilt in 2023 by the London-based architect Tszwai So, also known as the author of the award-winning Belarusian church in Finchley. It is described as an example of Emotionalist architecture,In Taiwan’s capital is a hotel so captivating, the city ‘paused for a moment’ at its unveiling: The Blue has been designed with Emotionalism in its bones - South China Morning Post, 15 February 2024Tszwai So’s The Blue hotel redefines Taipei’s landscape - Wallpaper, February 2024 inspired by the Belarus-based UNOVIS artist movement of the early 20th century.В столице Тайваня открылся реконструированный отель, вдохновленный идеями белорусских художников [Reconstructed hotel opens in the capital of Taiwan, inspired by ideas of Belarusian artists] - Zerkalo.io, 14 February 2024
The hotel features 59 guestrooms, a restaurant, and a public art venue.
Awards and shortlistings
In 2024, the renovated hotel was shortlisted in the Sustainable Renovation category of the Dezeen AwardThe Blue by Just Inn by Tszwai So - Dezeen, retrieved on 11 October 2024 and in the Completed Buildings: Creative Re-use and Completed Buildings: Hotel and Leisure categories of the World Architecture Festival award.Short List Revealed for World Architecture Festival Awards 2024 - ArchDaily, retrieved on 11 October 2024
In 2026, The Blue was conferred the 26th Taipei Architecture Renovation Award by the Taipei City Government.2026台北老屋新生大獎揭曉，15件老屋改造作品讓城市記憶重新回到日常 - Taipei City Government official website
References