By Eryk Michael Smith / Staff
AI illustration of the Fubon Aozhidi “Eye of Kaohsiung” via 跟著菲爾經營不動產 FB page.
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung has no shortage of tall, shiny buildings. Height alone no longer impresses. What makes the new Fubon Aozihdi development (富邦凹子底開發案) worth paying attention to is not how high it will rise, but how it is designed to be used.
Some have started calling it the “Eye of Kaohsiung” (高雄之眼). Others just know it will dominate the skyline. But reducing it to “just another skyscraper” misses the bigger picture. This project is better understood as a city stacked vertically.
According to project disclosures by Fubon Financial Holding and partner developers, the complex will integrate offices, a hotel, retail, entertainment facilities, and public space into a single development directly connected to mass transit.
A city built upward, not just upward-looking
At its core, the project is a true mixed-use development. Instead of separating daily life across different parts of the city, everything is layered into one structure.
Different users need different kinds of space, and the building is planned around that. Lower floors handle everyday life, such as shops, restaurants, and casual foot traffic.
Mid-level floors become destinations, including cinemas and entertainment venues.
Upper floors are quieter, housing offices and hotel rooms.
Transit as a priority
From an urban planning standpoint, the most important feature is not the size of the mall, but how the building connects to transportation. The project is situated directly above Aozihdi MRT Station (凹子底捷運站), one of the key stops on Kaohsiung Metro’s Red Line.
The underground retail space connects directly to the station, a classic example of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Just outside, riders can transfer to the Kaohsiung Light Rail (高雄輕軌).
A mall meant not just weekends
Much of the attention has focused on Hanshin Department Store (漢神百貨) moving into the complex. The more important question is whether people will actually come here on weekdays.
Project layouts show high-end cinema facilities and extended dining zones designed to support nighttime traffic, signaling an effort to turn the area into part of residents’ regular routines.
An aquarium in the sky, and why the builders think it makes sense
One of the project’s most talked-about features is placing attractions such as an aquarium and ice rink on upper floors. The developers say, from a commercial perspective, it makes sense as prime ground-level space will be used for retail and dining, while large destination attractions move upward. This should translate into visitors walking through more floors and staying longer.
Developers are also adding a sky garden corridor, pushing public space upward instead of only spreading outward, a relatively new concept in Kaohsiung’s urban planning.
Two towers, two atmospheres
Hotels and offices are placed in separate towers. Busy areas stay busy. Quiet areas stay quiet. For corporate tenants, especially in technology and professional services, this layout could prove attractive. Work, meetings, accommodation, and business dining can all happen inside one complex. Urban planners also point to nearby Aozihdi Forest Park (凹子底森林公園) as an added anchor that blends transit, green space, and commercial life into one zone.
What success would look like
Core construction completion was reportedly mostly finished by 2025. Occupancy permits and some initial openings are expected by the end of 2026. But major retail and entertainment venues will likely not begin operations until around 2028.
The multi-billion dollar question is whether Kaohsiung residents will actually use this space. If it becomes a place where people casually eat, watch movies, exercise, or sit in the sky garden talking after work, then the “vertical city” idea will have worked.
• Fubon Group project overview:
https://www.fubon.com/financialholdings/en/news/news_1220427_026496.htm
• Aozihdi Station background:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aozihdi_metro_station
• Transit advantage reporting:
https://www.moneydj.com/kmdj/news/newsviewer.aspx?a=0b12a1b5-cde5-4c9c-9ea1-88a4bf66df93
• Development planning details:
https://www.mjd.co.jp/en/projects/26082/
• Park background:
https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/凹仔底森林公園
