Taiwan Governor-General Telephone Exchange Bureau

The Taiwan Governor-General Telephone Exchange Bureau (臺灣總督府電話交換局) was the central telecommunications facility for colonial Taiwan, completed in October 1937 on Shoin-cho 2-chome (書院町二丁目) in Taipei. The building was planned by the Temporary Construction Division (臨時建築系) of the Communications Bureau (遞信部) under the Governor-General's Office Transportation Bureau (交通局), with architect Suzuoki Ryoichi (鈴置良一) serving as the principal designer. Construction was carried out by the Kyoshi Company (協志商號), the predecessor of Tatung Company, with groundbreaking in May 1936 and completion in October 1937.

Taiwan's telephone service traces its origins to 1897, when the first telephones were installed for military and government use. Public telephone service began in 1900, initially using a manual operator system where switchboard operators (接線生) physically connected calls. By the 1930s, increasing telephone demand necessitated modernization. In 1937, the new exchange building introduced Taiwan's first automatic telephone switching system (自動式電話), eliminating the need for manual operators and dramatically improving call capacity and reliability.

The building exemplifies the modernist architectural style that characterized late-colonial Japanese government buildings in Taiwan. Architect Suzuoki Ryoichi, influenced by modernism, expressionism, and eclecticism, rejected ornate decoration in favor of clean horizontal curved lines forming the facade. The exterior features light-colored face tiles (面磚), with the corner entrance recessed in an elegant curved arc. The overall plan forms a free L-shape, creating a sleek, streamlined appearance. The original structure was a three-story reinforced concrete building.

During the Pacific War, the telephone exchange played a critical role in military command and control communications across Taiwan. As the colony's primary switching hub, it handled military, governmental, and civilian telephone traffic essential for coordinating air defense, troop movements, and administrative functions throughout the island. The communications infrastructure managed by the Governor-General's Communications Bureau was vital to Japan's wartime operations in Taiwan and the broader southern theater.

After Japan's surrender in 1945, the facility was taken over by the Republic of China government and became the Taipei Telecommunications Bureau (臺北電信局) under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. During post-war renovations, a fourth floor was added and original architectural features including the entrance's circular window and rain canopy balcony were removed, significantly altering the building's proportions and aesthetic character. The building was designated a Taipei Municipal Historic Site (臺北市定古蹟) on May 4, 1998, recognizing its architectural and historical significance. Today it operates as the Chunghwa Telecom Bo'ai Service Center (中華電信博愛服務中心) at No. 168, Bo'ai Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei.