Located in the fast-growing 7th District of Taichung, Taiwan, the 128-meter-high residential tower La Bella Vita aims to integrate the character and identity of nearby Charlotte Park, while fostering a dynamic relationship with the surrounding urban context. In close proximity to several department stores, civic buildings and cultural venues, the 33,000-sqm high-rise creates a new residential community in the commercial heart of the city, and activates the street level areas with a series of retail spaces. The distinct identity of La Bella Vita is expressed by the composition of the building’s seemingly disjoint, yet complementary volumes. Four lower volumes of stacked balconies allude to the materiality of long stretches of rock formations found on the surface of the Earth. They combine with the tallest 37-story amber volume that ties all building masses together, creating a sense of sophisticated playfulness.