Address:No. 39, Chang'an W Rd, Datong District, Taipei City
The building of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Taipei was completed and inaugurated in 1921. Originally, the building was """"Kensei Shogakko,"""" or Jian Cheng Elementary School, for educating Japanese children during the Japanese ruled period. Since 1945, Taiwan became under the rule of the government of the Republic of China, and the building of the former elementary school was appointed the office building of the Taipei City Government. It remained so until the Government moved into its new quarters in Xinyi District in 1994. During the five decades, this red brick building was the central hub that powered all hardware and software construction in the municipal affairs of Taipei City.
In 1996, the former Taipei City Government building was designated as a Municipal Heritage Site; and based on the policy of reusing historic building, the front of the building was renovated into MOCA, Taipei whereas the two lateral buildings were assigned as the classrooms of Jian Cheng Junior High School. The combination of MOCA, Taipei and Jian Cheng Junior High School not only became the foremost example of having a museum and a school share one building, the site was also taken as an extension of the cultural-historical axis from Taipei Confucius Temple to Dalongdong Baoan Temple. The establishment of MOCA, Taipei was also deemed as a new opportunity to rejuvenate the development of Datong District. With all eyes of the cultural and artistic circles in Taiwan on the site, the municipal historic site as well as the former Taipei City Government building was revitalized and transformed into the only museum of contemporary art in the country, and was inaugurated on May 26, 2001. Ever since then, a new landmark has been created on the cultural map of Taipei.