Xiu Zelan facts for kids

Xiu Zelan (Chinese: 修澤蘭; 15 August 1925 – 27 February 2016), also written as Hsiu Tse-Lan, was a Taiwanese architect. Xue was born in Yuanling, Hunan. During World War II she attended the Architecture Department of National Central University in Chongqing (Now Southeast University School of Architecture). In 1947 she entered the Taiwan Rail Bureau. She took charge of the Department of General Logistics and Engineering as an assistant engineer. Her modernist interpretations of traditional motifs gained the attention of Chiang Kai-shek, and in 1965 she took charge of Yangmingshan's Chung-Shan Building project. Designed to house state ceremonies, the Chung-Shan Building brought Xiu acclaim and the project was subsequently considered to be one of her crowning achievements and earned the popular title "Number 1 Female Architect of Taiwan". Subsequently, on April 30, 1967, Xiu was awarded the first Golden Tripod Award for Architecture (alongside fellow architects including Wang Da-hong, Chen Chi-Kwan, Chen Ren-he, Haigo T. H. Shen, and Yang Cho-cheng). In 2015, on the 50th anniversary of the Chung-Shan Building's completion, she was presented with a certificate of gratitude from the Taiwanese government.

Early years

Childhood

Xiu Zelan was born on August 15, 1925 in Yuanling, Hunan.

Education and early work

In 1937, Xiu enrolled in the Architecture Department of the National Central University in Chongqing (now Southeast University School of Architecture). The university was previously situated in Nanjing, but moved to Chongqing due to eruption of the Second World War. It is around this time Xiu first became acquainted with Chiang Kai-shek, who was serving as the principle of the university.

She began practicing as an architect upon graduation, entering her first job at the Ministry of Communications at Nanking (also written as Nanjing) in 1947. She was sent to Shanghai the following year, but design jobs were scarce due to “bad times”.

In 1949, as the Chinese Civil War escalated, Xiu accepted a job invitation at the Taiwan Railways Administration and started the new chapter of her career in Taiwan.

Career in Taiwan

Post at the Taiwan Railways Administration

Xiu was assigned to the Department of General Logistics and Engineering as an assistant engineer / architect. Despite the department suffering from the lack of funds and resources, Xiu was soon involved in many major projects. One of the most notable examples was the Banqiao (also written as Panchiao) Train Station, now demolished.

Xiu met fellow engineer, C. K. Fu, when they were both working in the Department of General Logistics and Engineering in the TRA. They were later married in 1953, and had a son together.

In 1955, Xiu and her husband left their posts at the TRA, and established a private practice together in the following year.

Private practice and rising fame

Representative works

• Banqiao Station (板橋火車站(舊站))
• Chung-Shan Building (中山樓) (陽明山)
• Taipei Women's Teacher Junior College (台北女師專)
• Viator High School Church (衛道中學教堂)
• Lanyang Girl's Middle School Auditorium (蘭陽女中禮堂)
• Banqiao Senior High School (板橋高中)
• Chung-Shan Girl's Middle School Auditorium (中山女中禮堂)
• Taipei Jingmei Girls School Library and Admin Building (景美女中圖書館及行政大樓)
• Chih Shan Junior High School (至善國中)
• Wu Feng Elementary School (霧峰國小)
• National Chia-Yi Girls' Senior High School (國立嘉義女子高級中學)
• Hu-wei Senior High School (虎尾高中)
• National Chung Hsing Senior High School (中興高中)
• Hualien Normal University Library (花蓮師範學院圖書館)
• Sun Moon Lake Teacher's Hall (日月潭教師會館)
• Taichung Teacher's Hall (台中教師會館)
• Yangming Senior High School (陽明高中)
• Taipei Mingde Junior High School (明德國中)