Reinterpreting Narrowness
Fri 14 Oc2022, 06 pm
Ươm Art Hub
42/58 Hoàng Hoa Thám, Ward 7, Bình Thạnh, HCMC
Registration link
From the organizer:
In recent years, Hồ Chí Minh City has experienced rapid urbanization and fast economic growth. The city is considered a real estate hot spot and one of the fastest-growing cities in South East Asia as well as Vietnam’s economic hub. Hồ Chí Minh City is often identified within the narrative of megacities which are defined as large cities with a population of 10 million or more people. With an average population density of over 4,500 people per square kilometer, it is the largest and most crowded city in Vietnam.
The city is a layer of different architectural styles mirroring its history from French Colonial buildings and modernist architecture to densely packed tube houses and contemporary glass-and-steel skyscrapers.
Peeking through the crowded buildings on main streets and wandering around the narrow alleys of the city you might find little hidden gems: tube houses (nhà ống in Vietnamese).
Tube houses are a key feature of Vietnamese cities. They are usually three to five-storey houses, built on narrow plots with ventilation and natural light often coming only from the front facade.
This legacy has been taken as a starting point by young Vietnamese architects and reinvented through the use of local materials, the design of harmonious and functional spaces, the incorporation of greenery, and the use of innovative solutions to maximize light and air ventilation.
Taking the reinterpretation of traditional tube houses as a starting point, the panel discussion will explore the challenges and opportunities of working in crowded urban settings and reinventing traditional models, the role of architecture in our daily life from creativity to human interactions, the relationship between heritage and modern living, and the challenges faced by architects to preserve creative freedom in face of constraints such as budget and lack of space.
The talk will explore these topics through the perspective of four Sài Gòn-based architecture firms H.a workshop, G+ architects, k59 atelier, Tad.atelier and a Q&A session.
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