The main project objectives for the Kaohsiung Maritime Cultural and Popular Music Center international competition were to establish Kaohsiung as a main hub for the Asia-Pacific pop music and to create an international cultural exchange for maritime culture.

The main design concept for the master plan and building designs of the Kaohsiung Maritime Cultural and Popular Music Center are inspired by the abstracted metaphor and movement of the musical staff. In standard music, the staff (stave) is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces, each of which represents a different musical pitch.

The project's concept design focus is on the fluid movement of the "musical ribbon", as it symbolically moves through the project's master plan defining architectural forms and creating urban spaces.

The three main project areas are:

A- Popular Music Main Performance Hall B- Maritime Cultural and Exhibition CenterC- The Music Village