Beautiful Vietnam

Vietnamese architect shortlisted for an international architecture award  Dezeen, dtinews  Vietnamese architect Vo Trong Nghia’s restaurant project, named the Kontum Indochine Café, was among 300 shortlisted for World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2013.   Since the first award, granted in 2008, the WAF awards have become world prestigious, and the number of categories has increased yearly. This year structures will be recognised in 29 different categories. Since the first WAF, over 8000 architects have attended the Festival, from over 65 countries. Nghia’s project is among potential candidates for the WAF this year.  The entire structure is made by natural materials and environmentally friendly. Fifteen conical bamboo columns support the roof of this waterside restaurant, which was designed without any walls, allowing uninterrupted views across the surrounding shallow pools of water, and towards the neighbouring river and distant mountains. This impressive design has been featured by a number of international architecture publications. The form of these columns was inspired by a traditional Vietnamese baskets for fishing. It also allows a cross-breeze while the weather is pleasant, but is capable of resisting severe storms. The roof of the structure is clad with bamboo but also contain layers of thatch and fibre-reinforced plastic. In some places the plastic panels are exposed, allowing natural light to permeate the canopy. Vo Trong Nghia said that the biggest hurdle for him was the use of bamboo as the main material. The cafe is composed of a main building with a large horizontal roof made of bamboo, and an annex kitchen made of a concrete frame and stone. Previously, Vo Trong Nghia's Stacking Green House was awarded Building of the Year 2012 by the American magazine Archdaily.         Some other works shortlised:   The Emporia shopping centre designed by Wingardh Arkitktkontor AB in Malmo, Sweden    L'Avenue Shanghai designed by Leigh & Orange in Shanghai, China   The Al Bahar Towers designed by Aedas Ltd in the Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates The Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan, designed by British-based Zaha Hadid Architects