20 Years of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects Vietnam, Southeast Asia architecture news
20 Years of gmp Architects in Vietnam
9 December 2024
Design: gmp
Location: Vietnam, Southeast Asia
Political and Administrative Center & City Performance and Convention Center in Hai Phong – render © ATCHAIN Architectural Visualization
Images: ATCHAIN Architectural Visualization, Christian Gahl and Marcus Bredt
von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects, Vietnam
Designing with Climate Responsibility and Resource Efficiency
von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects (gmp) has celebrated the 20th anniversary of their office in Vietnam. Present at the event were gmp Founding Partner Volkwin Marg and Executive Partner Nikolaus Goetze, who marked the occasion together with guests from politics, culture, business, and architecture.
Vietnamese National Assembly Building – photo © Christian Gahl
The celebration took place at the historic site of the old Vietnamese Imperial City in Hanoi. The archaeological findings there, along with the citadel, have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010. This special location takes gmp back to the origins of its engagement in Vietnam: It was here that the firm won its first competition for the Vietnamese National Assembly and the National Congress Center in 2002. Today, the Parliament Building stands at this site whereas the National Congress Center was built outside the city center to a new design by gmp due to the excavations.
Hanoi Museum – photo © Marcus Bredt
In 2004, gmp opened an office in Hanoi. To date, the firm has participated in a total of 50 competitions in Vietnam, winning 19 of them. Seven projects have been realized, and two more are currently under construction. The completed projects include a series of prominent public buildings: The National Conference Center served as the venue for the APEC Summit in Hanoi in 2006. The German House in Ho Chi Minh City, which houses German and international institutes and companies, is a place for exchange between Germany and Vietnam, Europe and Southeast Asia. And the center for administration and conferences currently under construction in Hai Phong is an important part of the new government district in Vietnam’s third largest city.
A key challenge when building in Vietnam is the climate, which is characterized by high humidity and very hot summers. It is therefore important for gmp to respond to these conditions with climate-appropriate and resource-efficient architectural solutions. A solar field of approximately 2,500 square meters to the east of the National Conference Center provides energy for the building – a pioneering project in Vietnam. The Hanoi Museum uses passive climate strategies to minimize energy consumption and optimally respond to the demands of the subtropical climate: the building is shaped like an inverted pyramid, so each floor shades the one below it. The German House in Ho Chi Minh City was the first building in Vietnam and one of the few in Southeast Asia to receive not only one, but three major energy efficiency certificates: LEED Platinum for design and construction (2017), LEED Platinum for operation and maintenance (2024), and DGNB Gold (2018). The compact double-skin facade, which was unique in the region when completed in 2018, results in a 35% saving in cooling energy compared to the local building standard.
National Conference Center – photo © Marcus Bredt
Reflecting on the past twenty years, gmp Executive Partner Nikolaus Goetze concludes: “Vietnam is a dynamic country that has experienced impressive and rapid development over the past decades. It is very inspiring to be a part of this journey and to feel the energy and ambition firsthand.”
20 Years of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects, Vietnam – Building Information
Architects: gmp – https://www.gmp.de/en/
Deutsches Haus – photo © Marcus Bredt
Images: ATCHAIN Architectural Visualization, Christian Gahl and Marcus Bredt
gmp – von Gerkan, Marg & Partners
20 Years of von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects, Vietnam images / information received 091224
Location: Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam, Southeast Asia
Hồ Chí Minh City Buildings
HCMC Cafés and Coffee Shops – architectural selection from e-architect below:
Café 4P’s Coffee shop, Thành phố
Design: Semba Vietnam
photo : DeconPhotoStudio (Hiroyuki Oki)
Café 4P’s Coffee shop in Ho Chi Minh City
Katinat Bình Phú Coffee Shop
Architects: Module K
photo : Do Sy
Katinat Bình Phú Coffee Shop
Piece of Drink Bistro
Architects: D1 Architectural Studio
Piece of Drink Café Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam Architecture
Vietnam Architecture Design – chronological list
Vietnamese Architectural Design – selection:
Hon Thom Island, Phu Quoc
Architects: 10 Design
image : 10 Design
Hon Thom Island Resort, Phu Quoc
Villa LP, Ba Vi, Ha Noi
Design: Nghia Architect – Architecture and Urban design, Hanoi
photo : Nguyen Tuan Nghia – Nam Nguyen
Villa LP in Ba Vi: Ha Noi home
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