Former Hua Nan Bank Taichung Branch

Construction and early use

Hua Nan Commercial Bank opened its Taichung branch in the newly completed building in late October 1952. At a later date, the bank relocated its Taichung operations to a different site, and the original building was left without a permanent tenant.^[3][2][4][1]

Mei Hua Tai era (1990s–2020)

Beginning in the 1990s, the premises were leased to Mei Hua Tai, a Taiwanese cosmetics and personal-care retailer. Mei Hua Tai opened its Zhongzheng store (美華泰中正店) in the building and, in the process, erected a steel-framed external cladding structure supporting large advertising panels that entirely enveloped the façade. From street level, the building's original architectural detailing was invisible; passers-by saw nothing but Mei Hua Tai's commercial signage. This arrangement persisted for more than thirty years, and the building's original architectural appearance was largely forgotten by the general public.^[5][6][3][2]

In early 2020, Mei Hua Tai suffered severe financial losses amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. In March 2020, the company announced the permanent closure of all fifteen of its remaining stores nationwide. The Zhongzheng store in the former bank building ceased trading on 30 April 2020.^[7]

Poya takeover and façade rediscovery (2020)

Following Mei Hua Tai's departure, Taichung city councillor Chiang Chao-kuo [zh] brokered the introduction of a new tenant: Poya, a major Taiwanese retail chain specialising in cosmetics, household goods, and personal-care products. Founded in 1985, Poya is known for a recognisable brand identity centred on the colour pink.^[1][2]

In June 2020, Poya commenced renovation work on the newly leased premises. As part of the fit-out, the steel-framed cladding that Mei Hua Tai had installed decades earlier was dismantled, and the underlying walls were cleaned. The removal of the hoardings exposed the building's original façade in its entirety for the first time in over three decades. The revelation attracted public attention, and a number of members of the public began an online petition urging Poya to preserve the newly uncovered exterior rather than conceal it again behind standard corporate branding.^[8][2][1]

Councillor Chiang Chao-kuo lent his support to the campaign and, together with officials from the Taichung City Government, entered into negotiations with Poya's management. The discussions culminated in a decision by Poya to break with its standard store format: rather than applying its customary pink colour scheme and branded signage, the company undertook a bespoke design. The renovated shop featured quartz-tiled flooring, warm yellow-toned lighting, and a deliberately muted, low-saturation colour palette intended to complement the historic façade.^[2][1][3]

The Poya Taichung Zhongzheng Store (寶雅台中中正店) opened to the public on 1 August 2020, representing the first occasion on which Poya had established a retail outlet in a historic building.^[2][1]

Public reception (2020)

The store's heritage-sensitive design was met with enthusiastic public approval. On social media platforms and internet forums, users praised Poya for prioritising the building's architectural character over its own brand uniformity. Several commentators noted that the restored building complemented the Central Bookstore across the road, lending the intersection a cohesive sense of historical identity. The outlet was widely described by Taiwanese media and internet users as the "most beautiful Poya in all of Taiwan" (全台最美寶雅).^[3][6][8][9] Some media outlets compared the adaptive reuse to that of Hayashi Department Store in Tainan, another colonial-era commercial building that had been successfully converted into a retail and cultural venue.^[4]

2023 pink sign controversy

In August 2023, Poya installed a large pink sign — consistent with the company's standard corporate branding — on the exterior of the building. The alteration provoked an immediate and largely negative reaction from the public. Councillor Chiang Chao-kuo publicly expressed his disappointment, describing the change as "regrettable" (惋惜). On social media, the majority of commentators condemned the move, and some local residents explicitly called for the removal of the pink sign.^[5][8]

Poya responded by acknowledging public concerns and stating that its design team had endeavoured to preserve the building's original appearance even while incorporating corporate branding elements. The company stated that it accepted the feedback with an open mind and would hold further internal discussions on the matter.^[8][10]

Legal commentator Lin Chih-chun [zh] argued that the decision to revert to the pink signage was closely linked to Poya's brand strategy, the colour pink being so central to the chain's visual identity.^[11] The Cultural Heritage Office of the Taichung City Government confirmed that the former bank building held no formal cultural heritage designation, so alterations to its exterior were governed by the municipal regulations applicable to advertising fixtures on ordinary buildings. The city's Urban Development Bureau stated that it would conduct further consultations with Poya.^[10]

2025 restoration

In 2025, when Poya undertook a refurbishment of the Zhongzheng store, the Urban Development Bureau of the Taichung City Government used the opportunity to coordinate the renovation details with the company, resulting in an agreement to remove the pink sign installed in 2023. Following the refurbishment, the building's exterior was largely restored to the condition it had been in upon the store's original opening in August 2020, with warm-toned lighting once again serving as the primary decorative treatment for the façade.^[3]