TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei Twin Towers broke ground on Friday (Nov. 11) as the capital of Taiwan pushes forward on a new gateway initiative centered on the city’s west.

The project involves two skyscrapers near Taipei Main Station, one having 74 stories and the other 55 stories, taking up a space of 9,600 pings (31,728 square meters) and a total floor area of 170,000 pings. At a cost of NT$60.6 billion (US$1.94 billion), it is slated for completion in 2027.

Adjacent to the historic relic of the Taipei North Gate, the towers are intended to revitalize what used to be the heart of the city. The complex will become a link for a sprawling transportation network connecting Taiwan Railways, Taiwan High Speed Rail, Taipei Metro, and Taoyuan Metro, or Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT.

Designed in the spirit of green architecture, the high-rises will encompass offices, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, galleries, and gardens. An estimated 16,000 jobs are to be created, generating an annual revenue of NT$100 billion, said the Department of Rapid Transit Systems.

Since the tender opened in 2006, implementation of the massive development project has been a rocky road strewn with controversies including national security concerns caused by a bidder with Chinese ties, said Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). Taipei Twin Towers is set to emerge as a new national gateway accessed by more than 500,000 people daily, he said.

Artist's renditions of Taipei Twin Towers. (Taipei City Government images)