The proposed Hanoi Lotus Centre doesn't just pay homage to the national flower of Vietnam in name only; Decibel Architecture has designed the building to physically resemble a series of young lotus blossoms.
The Centre will be positioned along one of the city’s main roads and, per the City of Hanoi’s request, will sit atop a lake that will act as part of the city’s stormwater control system. The building is being designed using a pentagonal grid system. This type of system was selected as a metaphor representing the five points of an outstretched person and because ratios of five are common in nature, especially in the organization of petal structures. Five smaller lotus blossoms will surround a large, main blossom that will become the central node.
The building will house a variety of functions and spaces such as a restaurant, incubator and startup offices, 3D and 4D cinemas, multiple auditoriums, outdoor circulation, and an ice skating rink.
It isn’t just the building’s exterior that will resemble the lotus flower, as the ceiling to the main interior circulation space is inspired by the colors and patterns found on the underside of a lotus leaf. The ceiling will blend into the central auditorium volume where colored skylights and light boxes will be added. The architects say the light that comes in through these fixtures will mimic the experience of being under lotus leaves.
The exterior petals of the faux lotus leaves will act as the Hanoi Lotus Centre’s façade and will also provide shade to the restaurant and VIP areas. Each petal is created from layers of fins, glazing, shells, and support structures.
The Hanoi Lotus Centre is intended as a gateway project, providing a sense of arrival to visitors and locals driving down the main road that connects Noi Bai Airport with the greater city. The new park and cultural center is envisioned as a meeting place for the community, a multifunctional theater and performance space, and a symbol of Hanoi’s growth and prosperity.
Hanoi Lotus from Ryan on Vimeo.
Rendering courtesy of Decibel Architecture.
Rendering courtesy of Decibel Architecture.
Rendering courtesy of Decibel Architecture. (Click to enlarge)
Rendering courtesy of Decibel Architecture.
Rendering courtesy of Decibel Architecture.
Rendering courtesy of Decibel Architecture. (Click to enlarge)
Rendering courtesy of Decibel Architecture.
Rendering courtesy of Decibel Architecture.
Related Stories
| Jul 17, 2014
A harmful trade-off many U.S. green buildings make
The Urban Green Council addresses a concern that many "green" buildings in the U.S. have: poor insulation.
| Jul 8, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright's posthumous gas station opens in Buffalo
Eighty-seven years after Frank Lloyd Wright designed an ornamental gas station for the city of Buffalo, the structure has been built and opened to the public—inside an auto museum.
| Jul 8, 2014
Lost in the Museum: Bjarke Ingels' maze will make you look up and around
The maze, located in the National Building Museum, is a precursor to an exhibit showcasing some of BIG's projects. To navigate the maze, people must look up.
| Jul 7, 2014
7 emerging design trends in brick buildings
From wild architectural shapes to unique color blends and pattern arrangements, these projects demonstrate the design possibilities of brick.
| Jul 7, 2014
'Solar orchid' pods will serve as floating restaurants, retail shops in Singapore's harbor [slideshow]
In an attempt to reunite the nation of Singapore with its harbor, SPARK Architects has designed the "solar orchid"—self-contained, solar-powered pods that mimic traditional hawkers.
| Jul 7, 2014
A climate-controlled city is Dubai's newest colossal project
To add to Dubai's already impressive portfolio of world's tallest tower and world's largest natural flower garden, Dubai Holding has plans to build the world's largest climate-controlled city.
| Jul 3, 2014
Gehry edits Canadian skyscraper plan to be 'more Toronto'
After being criticized for the original tower complex, architect Frank Gehry unveils a new design that is more subtle, and "more Toronto."
| Jul 2, 2014
Emerging trends in commercial flooring
Rectangular tiles, digital graphic applications, the resurgence of terrazzo, and product transparency headline today’s commercial flooring trends.
| Jul 1, 2014
Peter Zumthor's LA art museum plan modified with bridge-like section across main thoroughfare
After his design drew concerns about potential damage to LA's La Brea Tar Pits, Peter Zumthor has dramatically revised his concept for the Los Angeles Museum of Art.
| Jul 1, 2014
Zaha Hadid's flowing Heydar Aliyev Center named Design of the Year for 2014
The Design Museum's Design of the Year award has been awarded to Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center. Hadid is not only the first woman to win the top prize, but the center is the first architectural project to win the overall competition.
