The JW Marriott brand holds high standards for its luxury hotels, and the new property in Hanoi, Vietnam, is no different. The 74,384-sm building conveys a distinct Vietnamese flair, with its stylized dragon form inspired by local mythology and the country’s coastline.
Sited next to the Vietnam National Convention Center and the Hanoi Museum, convenient to nearby tourist attractions, the JW Marriott Hanoi greets visitors with a landscaped, semi-circular courtyard. Below this raised entry plaza lies a podium level housing two ballrooms; meeting facilities; dining, bar, and lounge areas; three levels of indoor parking; and back-of-house support functions. Atop the podium, the hotel includes a grand lobby, 450 guest rooms and suites, an executive lounge, a glass-enclosed rooftop swimming pool, and a fitness center.
The hotel is built for ADA compliance, even though no such laws currently exist in Vietnam. Accommodations include wider entry corridors in several rooms and special considerations in bathroom facilities. Elegant finishes are a priority throughout.
“It’s not easy working with Marriott’s standards,” remarks Building Team Awards judge Susan Heinking, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP O+M, Vice President and Director of Sustainability at VOA Associates. Indeed, this Building Team had to navigate a thicket of design requirements, including directives from owner Bitexco Group, Marriott International, and the neighboring Vietnam National Convention Center.
GOLD AWARD
Project summaryJW Marriott Hanoi Hotel
Hanoi, VietnamBUILDING TEAM
Submitting firm: Turner International – Vietnam (CM)
Owner/developer: Bitexco Group
Hotel operator: Marriott International
Architect: Carlos Zapata Studio
Architect of record: Viet Nam National Construction Consultants Corporation
Interior architects: Peter Silling & Associates Hotel Interior Design; DWP | Design Worldwide Partnership
Structural: Leslie E. Robertson Associates
Foundation: GECI
MEP: DSA Engineering Contractors: Hyundai Engineering & Construction; Delta Civil and Industrial Construction; Trung A. Stock ConstructionGENERAL INFORMATION
Project size: 74,384 sm
Construction cost: Confidential at owner’s request
Construction period: November 2009 to September 2013
Delivery method: PM/CM as agent, fast-trackMarriott’s in-house architectural group—responsible for overseeing design of all the brand’s hotels and resorts—was brought in at several stages for input and approval, but adherence to their standards proved difficult when financial problems led to a two-year delay.
Marriott criteria had changed in the interim, and new design styles caused previously selected finishes to be rejected. In addition, the clients decided to reorganize the site to make room for two villas, scrapping plans to build tennis courts and install a significant amount of landscaping.
Even basic communication was a concern, with Building Team members and consultants such as Turner Construction, Carlos Zapata Studio, Leslie E. Robertson Associates, and DSA Engineering scattered among offices in nine different countries. The firms decided early on that English would be the standard for all communications.
Vietnam is still a developing country in many aspects, so there was concern about the availability of skilled workers. Safety was also paramount, with Turner implementing weekly training sessions and audits to reinforce this priority for crews. Figuring out the best way to deploy teams—and to keep employees reporting through delays and cash-flow difficulties—made construction management even more complex.
The Building Team brought in international consultants and engineers when expertise was needed on elements unfamiliar to Vietnamese partner firms, such as the cantilevered design and structural steel construction. Sika, which supplied the waterproofing system for the podium roof, sent employees to train contractors on-site to prevent leaks that could threaten the ballrooms below.
The way the JW Marriott Hanoi came together in spite of the obstacles and difficulty level impressed the Building Team Awards judges. Says juror Matthew Dumich, AIA, of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture: “It’s as if someone said, ‘No one knows how to do any of this stuff. Let’s do it anyway.’ And it works.”
A curtain wall system at the podium level brings natural light into the hotel’s café. Elegant finishes were a priority for the owner. PHOTO: NGUYEN HAI VAN / COURTESY TURNER VIETNAM
The structure is constructed on a podium, with ballrooms and restaurants on the lowest floor enjoying riverfront views. PHOTO: VU LONG / COURTESY TURNER VIETNAM
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Oct 20, 2017
Top 40 sports architecture firms
Populous, HOK, and HKS top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest sports sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 19, 2017
Race for talent drives office designs
Is the shift toward attracting younger workers too much or not enough?
Sponsored | Designers | Oct 18, 2017
Universal design principles: Part 2
The CDC targets the bathroom as the most dangerous room in the house. Architects can use principles of Universal Design (UD) to reduce these hazards.
Giants 400 | Oct 17, 2017
Top 110 office architecture firms
Gensler, Jacobs, and HOK top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest office sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 16, 2017
Data center market forecast: Clearly cloudy
Look for mission-critical construction to double in the next few years.
Resiliency | Oct 13, 2017
Resiliency takes center stage in new projects around the country
Projects like these, where resilience is central to their design and construction, are becoming more commonplace.
Architects | Oct 11, 2017
Architects to policymakers: Buildings are infrastructure, too
Left out of this ongoing national debate over infrastructure are the nation’s other public buildings: the libraries, community centers, courthouses, community college buildings, affordable housing developments, and justice facilities.
Giants 400 | Oct 11, 2017
Top 25 data center architecture firms
Jacobs, Corgan, and Gensler top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest data center sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 9, 2017
6 new products for the multifamily construction market
Bamboo wall panels, an adaptable prep sink, and a two-tiered bike parking system are among the product innovations geared for multifamily buildings.
AEC Tech | Oct 6, 2017
How professional bias can sabotage industry transformation
Professional bias can take the form of change-resistant thinking that can keep transformational or innovative ambitions at bay. Tech consultant Nate Miller presents three kinds of bias that often emerge when a professional is confronted with new technology.