Australian firm DeciBel Architecture has designed a public space in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.
The project is described as a "new cultural heart" of the city, "offering a meeting place for family and community, a place to be married, a multifunctional theatre and performance space to enjoy local and international performances".
As well as a 2,000-capacity theatre, the square will include a business centre, cinemas, an ice skating rink, offices and restaurants.
Located in the western district of Hanoi along one of an arterial roads that leads to Noi Bai Airport, the Hanoi Lotus building will sit atop a 19ha lake, which will have the secondary function of helping to control storm water.Â
The architectural allusion is to the lotus, Vietnam’s national flower. The project contains the colours and patterns of the underside of the lotus leaf on its ceilings, and giant petals emerge to offer shade.
Images courtesy of DeciBel Architecture
