Five Dime Boathouse Restaurant in Taiwan An Architectural Marvel

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“I’m a loner,” self-taught architect Xie Li-xiang says of herself whose mind was always brimming with one creative thought after another. She wanted to design and build a house of her own but with little finance, she had no choice but to be resourceful. Adversity often does wonders in bringing out one’s potential. Xie managed to construct a building from a daydream. Brick by brick, plank by plank, she built her first house in the same way that she had played with building blocks as a little girl. Strapped for cash, Xie turned her first construction project into a restaurant to “earn money for further projects.” Having never attended a single architecture class, Xie has learned to design and build completely on her own. Driven solely by passion and creativity, Xie has come to design some of the most spectacular restaurants in all of Taiwan. Xie came up with a creative name for her restaurant: the “Five-Dime Boathouse“

Having never attended a single architecture class, Xie has learned to design and build completely on her own. Driven solely by passion and creativity, Xie has come to design some of the most spectacular restaurants in all of Taiwan.

“My only architectural style is that I dare play with any idea that pops into my head.
As soon as I think of a new idea, I find a way to realize it.” Xie said.

There are four Five-Dime Boathouses located in central and Southern Taiwan. They differ significantly in appearance but were all built using driftwood, huge trees and ceramics.

Designing architectural art is like making premium wine. It requires the benefit of experience over time to produce the best results. After perfecting her craft over several years, Xie is now ready to present her newest creation to the public, in Taipei’s Neihu district. “I have never spent so much time and effort on a single construction project. The newest Five-Dime Boathouse in Neihu will be my best and final piece in the series of Five-Dime Boathouses,” she proudly proclaims.

I was so stunned by the restaurant’s unusual architecture food was the last thing on my mind.