Controversy over the "Rusty Mushroom" bus shelter in Wenshan District, Taipei: Weathering steel is dripping with rust water and grass planting is a questionable issue

◎ Su Li

The Taipei City Metropolitan Development Bureau implemented the "Wenshan District Social Housing Public Art Installation Project - Clustered Floating Islands" and demolished the "Muzha Park" bus station shelter and rebuilt it into a mushroom shape. However, because the weathering steel covering the sides of the mushroom cap dripped rust, it was nicknamed the "rusty mushroom" bus shelter by the public, which became an interesting topic. But if you look closely, the problem is not just this.

The public art bus shelter "Clustered Floating Island" was built next to Muzha Park in Wenshan District at a cost of 4.13 million yuan. (Provided by MP Wang Xinyi’s Research Office)

First of all, since the construction unit demolished the two existing bus shelters on both sides of the road in November 2025, it has only set up temporary bus shelters on one side and none on the other side, leaving people getting on and off the bus exposed to the sun and rain, regardless of the interests of the people, and even if it is reported, it will be ineffective. A small project, the completion date has been repeatedly delayed, and it is still surrounded by construction fences.

Please read on...

Secondly, the top of the "Rusty Mushroom" is filled with soil and grass, and the joint between the weather-resistant steel and the concrete structure on the side is difficult to completely seal and waterproof. Earthquakes or the deterioration of the waterproof material can easily create gaps, causing water accumulation on the top and rainwater to drip rust water along the gaps and the surface of the steel. This is an inevitable phenomenon. Not only will it pollute the ground, but the risk of dripping onto people's clothes and bodies is unavoidable. If the earth above the mushroom cap is filled with rainwater, the weight will increase significantly. It is questionable how the mushroom handle can withstand earthquakes without falling over and injuring people.

In addition, grass is planted on the top of the "rusty mushroom", and lights illuminate the grass at night, which greatly increases the maintenance work and costs during future use, and also causes many problems. For example, which unit is responsible, who will do it, how to do it, how often maintenance is performed, who will bear the cost, lighting the grass at night violates the plant physiological clock, and does not comply with the principles of energy conservation and carbon reduction, etc. If not done properly, it is difficult to ensure that the grass will wither during drought periods. But if this is one of the phenomena that public art is intended to present, then that is another matter. But what is the scenery like when people are waiting for the bus under a bunch of withered weeds?

If we follow the Kaohsiung City Government's approach to eradicating white green pleated mushrooms growing on road separation islands, Taipei City should have immediately demolished this "rusty mushroom" and returned it to citizens with an ordinary bus shelter that can provide shade from the sun and rain. The fence-shaped smoking area of ​​the "open-air prison" was immediately demolished after being criticized. The same can be done for the "rusty mushroom" bus shelter.

After the grille-style smoking area in the "open-air prison" was criticized by netizens, the city government immediately demolished it. Perhaps the "rusty mushroom" bus shelter can also do the same. (File photo)

(The author is a Taipei citizen)