In designing the project, the architects at the Jerde Partnership "sought to create a retail-entertainment-cultural environment and gathering place that enhances the vitality and international distinction of Taipei's urban communal experience."
Groundbreaking for the complex began in March of 1998, when city regulations changed to allow for large-scale retail development. "In Taiwan, shopping enjoys high participation and popularity; yet there are few major retail centers in Taipei," explained Jerde. "While the rest of Asia enjoyed a developmental boom in the early 1990s, Taiwan was limited by zoning regulations, making it nearly impossible to develop a shopping complex. To promote shopping center development, the government de-signated areas outside municipal and commercial districts to be open to mall development."