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
| Feb 10, 2012
Task force addresses questions regarding visually graded Southern Pine lumber
Answers address transition issues, how to obtain similar load-carrying capabilities, and why only some grades and sizes are affected at this time.
| Feb 10, 2012
Atlanta Housing Authority taps Johnson Controls to improve public housing efficiency
Energy-efficiency program to improve 13 senior residential care facilities and save nearly $18 million.
| Feb 10, 2012
Besculides joins New York Office of Perkins Eastman as associate principal
Besculides joins with more than 17 years’ experience in design, business development, and account management for the government, healthcare, and corporate practice areas with a particular focus on the financial and media sectors.
| Feb 10, 2012
Mortenson Construction research identifies healthcare industry and facility design trends
The 2012 Mortenson Construction Healthcare Industry Study includes insights and perspectives regarding government program concerns, the importance of lean operations, flexible facility design, project delivery trends, improving patient experience, and evidence-based design.
| Feb 10, 2012
LAX Central Utility Plant project tops out
Construction workers placed the final structural steel beam atop the Plant, which was designed with strict seismic criteria to help protect the facility and airport utilities during an earthquake.
| Feb 8, 2012
Nauset completes addition and renovation for Winchester senior living community
Theater, library, fitness center, and bistro enhance facility.
| Feb 8, 2012
Mega-malls expanding internationally
Historically, malls have always been the icons of America – the first mall ever was built in Minneapolis in 1956.
| Feb 8, 2012
World’s tallest solar PV-installation
The solar array is at the elevation of 737 feet, making the building the tallest in the world with a solar PV-installation on its roof.
| Feb 7, 2012
AIA introduces seven new contract documents to Documents-On-Demand service??
AIA Contract Documents are widely-used standard form contracts among the building industry to support construction and design projects.
| Feb 7, 2012
Data center construction boom driven by healthcare and technology
The study includes insight and perspective regarding current investment plans of stakeholders, potential challenges to the data center boom, data center efficiency levels, the impact of new designs and technologies, and delivery methods.
