印 Young Docents南院小小英語導覽員 · 永慶高中
Lesson 2 of 8

Reading the Building讀一棟建築

Before the art begins, the architecture is already speaking.在藝術開始之前，建築本身已經在說話。

📍 Architecture · 建築 (Kris Yao / 姚仁喜)
Read

The Story 展廳故事

The museum was designed by the Taiwanese architect Kris Yao (姚仁喜). Before you see a single artwork, the building itself tells a story. Its shape was inspired by Chinese calligraphy — the art of writing with brush and ink.

南院由台灣建築師姚仁喜（Kris Yao）設計。在你看到任何一件作品之前，建築本身已在訴說故事。它的造型靈感來自中國書法——用毛筆與墨書寫的藝術。

Yao used three brush techniques as his design language: solid ink (濃墨), the heavy black stroke; flying white (飛白), the dry stroke that lets white show through; and wash (渲染), the soft, spreading tone. Three flowing volumes curve and cross like brushstrokes frozen in glass and stone.

姚仁喜以三種筆法作為設計語言：「濃墨」沉重的黑線、「飛白」乾筆中透出的白、「渲染」柔和暈開的層次。三道流動的量體彎曲、交織，宛如凝結在玻璃與石材裡的筆畫。

The three volumes also stand for three great Asian civilisations meeting one another: the dragon for China, the elephant for India, and the horse for Persia. So the building is really a picture of Yung Ching’s own motto — “connect with the world.” The art inside is Asian; the architecture says why that matters.

這三道量體也象徵三大亞洲文明的交會：「龍」代表中國、「象」代表印度、「馬」代表波斯。於是這棟建築其實就是永慶校訓「接國際」的具象——館內的藝術屬於亞洲，建築則說明了它為何重要。

“Dragon, elephant, horse — China, India, Persia. The building is three civilisations shaking hands.”龍、象、馬——中國、印度、波斯。這棟建築，是三個文明握手的瞬間。
Words

Word of the Day 關鍵字

architect (n.)
a person who designs buildings
建築師
“The architect was inspired by Chinese calligraphy.”
calligraphy (n.)
the art of beautiful handwriting, often with a brush
書法
“The roof line flows like a stroke of calligraphy.”
stroke (n.)
a single movement of a brush or pen
筆畫；一筆
“Each curve of the building is like a brush stroke.”
curve (v.)
to bend in a smooth, rounded line
彎曲；呈弧形
“The glass walls curve gently toward the lake.”
symbolise (v.)
to represent an idea or thing
象徵
“The three volumes symbolise three Asian civilisations.”
civilisation (n.)
a society with its own culture, art, and history
文明
“China, India, and Persia were three great Asian civilisations.”
inspire (v.)
to give someone the idea for something
啟發；給予靈感
“Calligraphy inspired the shape of the museum.”
Say it

Docent Phrase Bank 導覽實用句

Tap 🔊 to hear each line, then say it aloud. 點 🔊 聽一次，再自己大聲說一遍。

Look up at the roof — its curves come from Chinese calligraphy.
請抬頭看屋頂——它的曲線來自中國書法。
The architect used three brush techniques: solid ink, flying white, and wash.
建築師運用三種筆法：濃墨、飛白與渲染。
The three shapes stand for China, India, and Persia.
這三個造型分別代表中國、印度與波斯。
Notice how the glass curves like a brushstroke.
請注意玻璃如何像筆畫一樣彎曲。
The building itself is a symbol of meeting between cultures.
這棟建築本身就是文化交會的象徵。
Check

Quick Check 小測驗

Choose one answer for each question. 每題選一個答案，作答後會看到解析。

Q1.What inspired the shape of the museum?
博物館的造型靈感來自什麼？
Kris Yao based the design on three brush techniques of Chinese calligraphy.姚仁喜以中國書法的三種筆法為設計依據。
Q2.The three volumes of the building symbolise ___.
建築的三道量體象徵？
Dragon (China), elephant (India), and horse (Persia) — three Asian civilisations meeting.龍（中國）、象（印度）、馬（波斯）——三大亞洲文明的交會。
Q3.Which word means 'the art of beautiful handwriting'?
哪個字意思是「美麗書寫的藝術」？
Calligraphy is writing as a fine art, usually with brush and ink.calligraphy 指作為精緻藝術的書寫，通常用毛筆與墨。
Q4.Why does the building suit Yung Ching's motto 'connect with the world'?
為什麼這棟建築呼應永慶校訓「接國際」？
The architecture shows different Asian cultures coming together — exactly what 'connect with the world' means.建築呈現不同亞洲文化的交會，正是「接國際」的意涵。
Your Turn · 換你試試

Describe the building in three sentences

Imagine pointing at the museum from the lake. Describe its shape to a visitor.

想像你在湖邊指著博物館，向訪客描述它的造型。

  1. Say what inspired the shape (calligraphy).
  2. Name the three brush techniques OR the three civilisations.
  3. Use one verb of movement: curve, flow, cross, or rise.