Nanjichang Public Housing

Date CapturedJanuary 2nd, 2016 at 06:48 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IIApertureƒ / 5Shutter Speed1/100 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO400Exposure Value11.3 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Built on a former World War 2 airfield in south-central Taipei, this site became one of the largest squatter settlements in Taiwan after refugees crowded onto the riverside land following the catastrophic August 7 Flood (八七水災) of 1959. With planning support from USAID, the military land was redeveloped as a model estate, the first phase opening in 1964 with eleven five-storey blocks of some 1,264 units, built to then-modern standards with flush toilets, buried cables, and its own water and sewage works. The complex is best known for the distinctive spiral staircases joining each pair of buildings. Now among the Taipei districts most in need of urban renewal, it remains dense and lively, surrounded by the popular Nanjichang Night Market.