The Sculpted Penthouse, Taipei, Taiwan

The Sculpted Penthouse in Taipei, Taiwan

20 June 2026

Design: PENY HSIEH INTERIORS

Location: Taipei, Taiwan

Photos © Kuomin Lee

Winner of the 2026 Architizer A+Awards Jury Award for Residential Interiors (<3000 sq ft), The Sculpted Penthouse is a 230 m² duplex in Taipei transformed into a calm and continuous sculpted retreat shaped by light, materiality and spatial flow.

Set atop a residential tower in Taipei, the project reimagines the penthouse as a single sculpted environment rather than a collection of separate rooms.

The original conditions challenged conventional expectations of a penthouse: low ceilings, a fragmented layout, uneven daylight and an exposed terrace that was rarely used. Peny Hsieh Interiors responded with a disciplined architectural gesture: softening the geometry and allowing daylight to organize the life of the home.

A seamless mineral finish wraps walls and ceilings in warm sand tones, turning surface into architecture and reducing visual noise. A continuous grey floor unifies the plan, allowing light to move freely across the interior. Living, dining and kitchen areas are connected without rigid partitions; curves replace sharp corners, clarifying circulation and creating a softer daily sequence.

At the centre of the project is its defining move: a sculptural staircase paired with a vertical void. Rounded timber treads rise from a curved volume toward a circular glass oculus created through a structural opening in the slab. More than a formal gesture, the oculus draws daylight deep into the duplex, connects both levels through sightlines and transforms an existing constraint into the spatial signature of the home.

The terrace, once too exposed to be truly inhabited, becomes a natural extension of the interior. A lightweight pergola filters glare and heat, while low outdoor furnishings and soft textiles create a place to pause. From here, Taipei’s skyline — with Taipei 101 in the distance — becomes part of everyday life.

Upstairs, the spaces gather around the oculus. An intimate lounge sits in filtered light, leading to the primary suite, where muted tones and warm textiles continue the calm atmosphere of the home. The bathrooms are conceived as mineral landscapes: quiet and luminous in the primary bathroom, darker and more dramatic in the guest areas.

Throughout the penthouse, furniture, lighting and material choices support the architecture without competing for attention. The result is an interior where softness performs: calm, precise and unmistakably shaped by light.

What does it mean to win the 2026 Architizer A+Awards, and how does this recognition validate the design philosophy behind The Sculpted Penthouse? Could you elaborate on the specific aspects or innovations of the penthouse that you believe resonated most with the Architizer A+Awards jury?

The recognition is especially meaningful because the project was selected by an international jury among entries from more than 80 countries. For us, it validates a design approach that prioritizes spatial quality over visual spectacle.

Rather than adding complexity, The Sculpted Penthouse focuses on refining the fundamentals of living: natural light, circulation, materiality and the relationship between interior and exterior space.

One of the defining moves of the project is the transformation of an existing constraint into its strongest architectural feature. The sculptural staircase and circular oculus introduce daylight deep into the duplex, connect both levels visually and physically, and establish a calm spatial rhythm throughout the home.

We believe the project resonated with the jury because it demonstrates how architecture can be both expressive and highly livable. Every decision was driven by the desire to create a serene environment that feels effortless, while responding carefully to the realities of everyday life.

Ultimately, the award confirms that thoughtful, human-centred design can have a universal relevance beyond cultural and geographic boundaries.

The description mentions redefining light, flow and urban living. Could you elaborate on how the sculpted nature of the penthouse achieves this redefinition? What specific design elements or spatial configurations were employed to enhance light and flow within an urban penthouse context?

The project redefines urban living by treating the penthouse as a continuous spatial experience rather than a series of enclosed rooms. Instead of relying on partitions to organize the home, the design uses light, geometry and carefully choreographed circulation to shape daily life.

The defining strategy was the introduction of sculpted forms that soften the existing architecture. Curved walls, rounded transitions and continuous mineral surfaces create a sense of flow, reducing visual fragmentation and allowing spaces to feel connected while maintaining their individual character.

Light plays an equally important role. A circular oculus and vertical void were introduced at the heart of the duplex, bringing daylight deep into the interior and establishing a visual connection between levels. This intervention transforms light into an active architectural element rather than simply a functional requirement.

The relationship between interior and exterior was also reconsidered. By reimagining the terrace as a natural extension of the living space, the project expands the experience of the home beyond its physical boundaries and reconnects everyday life with the city skyline.

Together, these interventions create a living environment that feels open, calm and intuitive — one where movement, light and materiality work as a single architectural gesture.