HO CHI MINH CITY SKYLINE

Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh Skyline (HA 28558) by HA Studio

Designer: David Huynh

Photography: David Huynh

HA Studio @huynh_arch_studio


Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is home to a mix of amazing iconic landmarks and having great histories which make it the perfect shot for the latest Architecture Skyline model in HA Studio.

What landmarks are included in this model?

From the left to right, we have Giac Lam Pagoda, Ba Thien Hau Temple, Ho Chi Minh City Hall, Saigon Tower, 42 Nguyen Hue Coffee Apartment, Nguyen Hue Walking St, Saigon River, Landmark 81, Deutsches Haus Ho Chi Minh City, and Bitexco Financial Tower.

What was the main challenge for this model?

The right-hand part of the cityscape employs a forced perspective to feed an otherwise expensive part of Ho Chi Minh city on the architectural diversification. We can't miss Ho Chi Minh City Hall, a symbol of French architecture, along with luxuries the colored brick road surrounding.

In the middle of the skyline, Nguyen Hue Walking St which I put in the front of 42 Nguyen Hue Coffee Apartment so that it could highlight the facade of the apartment building with many colors of nature. You have to use your imagination that you are walking on the beauty of Nguyen Hue street with colorful flower arrangements. At the end of Nguyen Hue street, you will see the Saigon River. You will feel comfortable as it has a harmonious combination of the river and nature in the city with tall buildings.

 

The left-hand part of it showing tall buildings as a modernized city.  Landmark 81 and Bitexco Financial Tower are scaled-down and lay on the left-hand part of the cityscape. Especially, I want to place Deutsches Haus Ho Chi Minh City standing between Landmark 81 and Bitexco Financial Tower as to make their relationship closer and more fantastic.

How did you achieve a sense of unity in this model?

With the eye level, I designed and arranged the positions of buildings in hierarchical order very logically. I would like to choose Nguyen Hue Walking St doing as at the heart of the city so that to make more power of tall iconic buildings and classical buildings. All are lined up on horizontal to build up very nice 3 dimensional and perspective in the Ho Chi Minh City skyline.

Does the model mirror any of the real-life buildings?

Actually, Landmark 81 also is built by using the same technique as the real one. I always consider this tower with levels of every single tube structure while building the model. Its design concept is inspired by the traditional bundle of bamboo, symbolizing strength, and unity in Vietnamese culture.

What is your favorite part of this model?

My favorite part of the model is actually the power. Its apparent simplicity is the power that is the power of architecture, architecture skyline. I'm very proud of the amount of data I could reach without adding a single new element to the buildings in this skyline. That is the one thing I always try to achieve in HA Studio to create something very recognizable in this small scale entirely with the existing part at this time moment as well as in the near future.


Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, once “The Pearl of the Far East” is the second-largest city in Vietnam (the largest being Hanoi). It is the most crowded city in the country with the official population of over 8 million people in the total area of over 2,095 km2. The city now comprises 19 districts and 5 suburban districts. District 1, along the Saigon River, where downtown Saigon is located, is the commercial center and contains most of the city’s monuments and landmarks. 8 km away in district 5 resides a big market or Cho Lon where the Chinese community lives. With favorable weather the whole year round and the convenient access from other countries by air, by road and by sea, Ho Chi Minh city is a busy and dynamic metropolitan.

Giac Lam Pagoda

Giac Lam Pagoda was built in 1744 so it is believed to be the eldest pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam. Located at 565 Lac Long Quan street, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City. It was built by Ly Thuy Long under the Nguyen dynasty. In the beginning pagoda’s name was Son Can then change. In 1774, Zen Master Linh Nhac (abbot of Tu An pagoda) sent his disciple, Zen Master Vien Quang, to become Giac Lam Pagoda’s abbot and change the name of the pagoda to Giac Lam.

Ba Thien Hau Temple

This oldest richly decorated Chinese temple was built by Cantonese Congregation at the end of the 18th century and dedicated to the Heavenly Lady (locally called Thien Hau), who was supposed to be the protector of the fishermen and seafarers. Among the other altars is one (locally called Long Mau) dedicated to the protection of women and newborns and yet another (locally called Kim Hue) to sterile women and mothers who have no sons. Incense coils, ceramic figurines, richly attired statues, and a model boat commemorating the arrival of the first Chinese from Canton are among the items of interest here.

Ho Chi Minh City Hall

Designed by the French architect P. Gardes, The Ho Chi Minh City Hall was built and put into use in 1909 as a hotel whose original name was Hotel de Ville, as a less ornate version of the glamorous Hotel de Ville in Paris. It is thus one of the oldest, biggest, and most beautiful French-style buildings in Ho Chi Minh City; the most prominent landmark of the city that now functions as City Hall as well.

Saigon Tower

Saigon Tower, the most important business address in the city, designed the 18 levels enjoying a spacious column grid of 8.3 by 11 meters, giving maximum flexibility for either open space planning or modular office planning and each floor may be divided into nine units or maintained as one.

42 Nguyen Hue Coffee Apartment

The coffee apartment at 42 Nguyen Hue is right in the middle of the street in between the Saigon River and the City Hall that sits on either end of Nguyen Hue. The 42 Nguyen Hue is a prominent example of a cafe-apartment, yet faces demolition and redevelopment. It was home to many high-ranking government officials before 1975 and also served as a residence of US advisors and naval officers. Today the nine-story building is filled with different stores including coffee shops, co-working offices and clothes shops.

Nguyen Hue Walking St

Nguyen Hue Walking Street is the most beautiful and largest road in Ho Chi Minh City with colorful decoration and a modern water fountain system. This is considered the heart of District 1. The walking zone has two lanes for transportation circulation. It runs from the Ho Chi Minh City Hall to the Saigon River. Besides, it is the place to organize parades, meetings, street and flower festivals, exhibitions, culture and sports activities, art performances… of Ho Chi Minh City.

Saigon River

Saigon River has 230 km length across Ho Chi Minh City, which flows from Vietnam - Cambodia border. It became important because it supplied water to the city and is home to the Saigon Port, which is a hub for the import and export of goods to and from the South of Vietnam.

Landmark 81

With 461.15 meters (1,513.0 ft) tall, 81-story building is built on the western banks of the Saigon River in the city's Binh Thanh District, located just north of Ho Chi Minh City's historic center and to the immediate south of Saigon Bridge. The tower is at the heart of the $1.5 billion high-end mixed-use urban areas called Vinhomes Central Park. The development comprises hotel and conference facilities, luxury apartments, high-end retail spaces, restaurants, bars, and a multi-story observation deck at the tower's crown.

Deutsches Haus Ho Chi Minh City

Deutsches Haus Ho Chi Minh City is the flagship project of Germany in Vietnam and for the ASEAN region. Designed by architect Meinhard von Gerkan with the 25-story building,  strategically located in the corner of Le Duan and Le Van Huu Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, offers 30,000 net square meters office space to the market.

Bitexco Financial Tower

The tower was designed by Carlos Zapata, got the inspiration for this skyscraper's unique shape from Vietnam's national flower, the Lotus. With the 68-story, 262.5-meter (861ft) skyscraper is reportedly reminiscent of the lotus flower which Vietnamese people normally refer to as the floral emblem, while if you focus on the helipad, the building resembles a CD rack. The tower offers an awe-inspiring 360-degree view of the city.


H.A Studio (H.A 創作室), (as known as V.Boi Design Studio) is a small studio where specializes in the design and development of architectural models and as well as the re-design of famous icon landmark buildings, houses, and skylines in the world with small scales by Lego bricks. I always love architecture and Lego. As a designer, I'd like to bring whole historical and cultural knowledge in architecture, and life into the Lego world for all ages in order to achieve the term "Play & Learn."


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