[Kaohsiung 高雄] Pier 2 Art Center 驳二艺术特区 (2/6) : Da Yi Warehouse 大義仓库－Lynda's Taiwan-logue

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Da Yi Warehouse 大義仓库 at Pier 2 Art Center 驳二艺术特区 is the last cluster I visited among the three, and admittedly only after I had done my shopping and dining at Da Yong Warehouse 大勇仓库.

Does this mean Da Yi Warehouse 大義仓库 is less worthy of a visit, compared to the other two clusters? Actually no, for a number of quirky or quaint shops, as well as tourist-friendly pineapple tart label SunnyHills 微热山丘 (FB). Supplementary or complementary to the other clusters - maybe, as this is the smallest and "farthest" cluster.

To the credit of the developer, each warehouse cluster succeeds in presenting a different ambience and tenancy mix, despite having common elements like public art installation, retail and F&B. I personally find this commendable as we should be all too familiar with malls that end up being homogeneous, with more or less the same tenants. Taiwan is fairly successful in maintaining a highly creative and vibrant scene, encouraging a boiling pot of homegrown and imported labels, and small time retail-preneurs.

The impression I have of Da Yi Warehouse 大義仓库 is a quieter cluster (perhaps due to my day and time of visit), extremely conducive for a leisurely and crowd-free stroll.

By virtue of the structure of this cluster's warehouses, shops look grander with duplex frontage. The retailers here appear to be rather niche and have more personality (some even arty farty) - even if you are not a targeted customer, you'll likely be attracted by the attractive shopfront and window displays.

▼ Tools To Liveby is a really cool shop to check out, especially for stationery fanatics. (Their other store is in Taipei.)

SunnyHills 微热山丘 is at the farthest end of this zone, sharing a large unit with another F&B provider.

A big hall welcomes visitors - upon entry, we were served complimentary tea and pineapple cake, a sweet and hospitable gesture. (Note: this is not a cafe, so there is no menu for dine-in, if you are expecting one.)

If you are not familiar with the brand, what makes SunnyHills 微热山丘's pineapple cake special is their locally cultivated and organically grown pineapple (土凤梨). There is only a handful of core products, but the brand has been well received enough to expand overseas, currently in four other countries.

My guess is most visitors would be here to buy the popular brand (especially tourists), and less of a sole agenda to enjoy complimentary tea and snack. Presenting itself as a omiyage boutique, there are no shelves of products; only a classy counter display of the brand's core series, consisting of (their signature) pineapple cake, honey cake, baked honey cookies, tea (leaves) and pineapple juice. There are also gift combos (in nice boxes and carriers) and seasonal items.

Bite-sized samples are available for for some items. And counter staff are on-hand to answer any queries or attend to your orders.

▼ My buys - pineapple cake, honey cookies and honey cake.

There is a park at the SunnyHills end, which I'll imagine to be a great picnic location.

Rounding back to the public installation art at this cluster, which was a delight to find and admire.

Took some time to wait for this peeing boy Xiao An (尿尿小童小安) to do his "thing".

These hidden children on the brick walls were really, very, small.

Side note:
There seems to be more open and green spaces at this cluster, perhaps due to its location at the fringe of Pier 2 Art Center 驳二艺术特区. There are also many pockets of shops and eateries surrounding the attraction, especially towards the direction of Yancheng district 盐埕区 - you'll probably find some gems on an extended stroll.