Rock Towers Halong Bay, Vietnam

The project of the Rock Towers, a complex of towers used as residences and offices, in Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, is in harmony with the surrounding landscape and the environment, especially with Ha Long Bay itself, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inspired by the beautiful and spectacular rocks that emerge from the water: the image that emerges is an architectural interpretation of the original landscape in a contemporary key. The design of the Rock Towers is also characterized by the tube-house system, characteristic of Vietnamese architecture that has always worked on the vertical element. By dividing the towers into vertical layers, the intent is to reconnect the new towers to the concept of “pipe”, a traditional Vietnamese construction. The project is divided into three different architectural parts: the basement, which includes the floors from -1 to +1 with the basement floors; the underground parking at level -2 and -3 and finally the three towers that also provide a link between them. The functions of the basement are mainly public, while the three towers are occupied mainly by houses. One of the 12-storey towers is reserved for offices located near the public ring, which houses a conference room, restaurant, panoramic bar and gallery. From the architectural point of view, the complex appears as a single system of compact ground from which emerge the three towers for residences and offices. Their arrangement was designed to facilitate the circulation of the dominant winds, and to allow the view of Ha Long Bay.

Credits: Design Architects: T-Studio; n!studio Ferrini – Stella Architetti Associati | Associates: I.D.E.A.S. (Vietnam)

Published in: SALIMEI G. (2012- 2° ed. 2015), City Landscape. Bari: Ilios Editore ISBN 9788890802430