Tunghai University-News-News-Luce Chapel Is Closed for Renovations

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::: Tunghai University-News-News-Luce Chapel Is Closed for Renovations

Luce Chapel Is Closed for Renovations

Department : THUPR
Category : News
View : 333
Date : 2022-11-28

Tunghai University Luce Chapel started its service in 1963. After 60 years in use, problems such as water leakage, windows rusts, wall damages, and obsolete mechanical and electrical equipment occur. In 2022, THU applied for subsidy under the "Historical and Cultural Assets Maintenance and Development Project" of the Cultural Assets Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and was granted a restoration fund of NTD 34 million. With a kick-off ceremony on November 1, the Luce Chapel was closed and would be under restoration work for one year.

The Luce Chapel was donated by Henry R. Luce, the founder of America’s Time, Life, and Fortune magazines, to commemorate his father, Rev. Henry W. Luce, a missionary who dedicated over 40 years of his life in China. It was designed and built by I.M. Pei and C.K. Chen and finished on November 2, 1963. On its 50th anniversary, the Luce Chapel was enlisted as one of the modern architecture most worthy of preservation in the 20th century by the Getty Foundation. In 2019, it was upgraded as a national relic in Taiwan, the first modernistic architecture to become a national relic after the Second World War.

Luce Chapel is under renovation thanks to the support of THU alumnus Chi-Chang Tsai and Wan-Chien Chang-Liao and subsidy from Cultural Assets Bureau

THU President Guo-En Chang said that the Luce Chapel being closed for renovation after 60 years of service is a huge event in the 67 years history of Tunghai University. It marks an important milestone of cultural asset sustainability at THU. He thanked the Cultural Assets Bureau of the Ministry of Culture for the financial support and Vice President of Legislative Yuan Chi-Chang Tsai and Legislator Wan-Chien Chang-Liao for lobbying for the renovation subsidy. President Chang hoped the work will provide a demonstrative experience for the renovation of modernistic architectures and expected a brand-new re-opening of the chapel in a year.

Luce Chapel is closed with blessings from all attending guests

The restoration work is co-executed by THU Department of Architecture research team led by Professor Chi-Cheng Kuo and Lin Chih Cheng Architectural Firm. The restoration work started on November 1, 2022. The Chapel will last for one year.

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