The detailed plans for the National Palace Museum’s “New Palace Museum” project have not yet been made public. According to an internal briefing in June, the plan focuses on renovation and expansion. This includes three main areas: a 1,500-ping (approx. 5,000 m²) entrance image corridor at the plaza of the main building, a 2,000-ping (approx. 6,600 m²) transparent decorative corridor, and a 2,000-ping new administrative building. Scholars emphasize that regardless of the renovation or expansion, ensuring the safety of artifacts must be the top priority.

According to the briefing, the “New Palace Museum” project is divided into two parts:

• The north side, where the current Northern Branch of the Palace Museum is located, includes expansion and renovation projects such as the new administrative building and the entrance image corridor, all connected as one.
• The south side, the site of the former Army Medical School at the National Defense Medical Center, involves the renovation of five existing buildings and the creation of a green park.

Originally, the Palace Museum proposed a three-year closure for this project. However, after a public outcry, the plan was revised to avoid a complete shutdown. In recent years, major art museums worldwide have undergone waves of renovations and expansions. Dr. Ye Guo-Shin, an art authentication expert who has visited museums globally, noted that renowned museums undergoing renovations only partially close their facilities. Complete closures only happen in cases of major disasters, such as fires, earthquakes, floods, or tornadoes, and even then, efforts are made to reopen as quickly as possible.

Dr. Ye cited several examples:

• The Getty Museum in Los Angeles only closed for a few days during a fire in December 2017.
• The Louvre and Musée d’Orsay in France closed for a few days in June 2016 and January 2018, respectively, due to flooding.
• The National Gallery of Canada shut down for a few days in September 2018 due to a tornado.

He emphasized that museum renovations and expansions are common, but to protect visitor rights and tourism benefits, closures are typically partial. Construction must prioritize artifact safety. Any museum planning a renovation should first classify its artifacts and implement protection measures accordingly. Fragile and non-fragile items require distinct protective strategies based on their characteristics.

Li Zi-Ning, an assistant professor at the Taipei National University of the Arts and associate researcher at the Taiwan Museum, stated that from a museum perspective, any construction project must ensure that artifacts are placed in the safest possible location. He explained that it’s generally best not to relocate artifacts if avoidable. However, if relocation is necessary, they should first be moved to the nearest storage facility. For larger projects, relocation may be inevitable. In the case of the Palace Museum, for example, the South Branch’s storage facilities might be seen as easier to manage, leading to proposals to move items there.

Internally, opinions on the Palace Museum’s relocation plan are mixed. Some researchers argue that the current state of the museum does not pose immediate dangers, and renovations may not be urgently required. Others suggest that a new building could be constructed on the site of the old National Defense Medical Center across from the Palace Museum, eliminating the need for costly and labor-intensive relocations.

Source:
United Daily News