If there's one overriding theme behind Vo Trong Nghia Architects' varied body of work, it's the firm's desire to add greenery to its buildings. This is the case again with its most recent project, Chicland Hotel, which is part-covered in plants and squeezes into a cramped and awkward plot in Vietnam.
Chicland Hotel (also referred to as Chic-Land Hotel) was first unveiled last year and is located in the tourist spot of Danang on a plot that's just 100 m (328 ft) from the shore, but is also only 15 m (50 ft) wide, so it was a real challenge to fit it in there.
The building rises to a height of 72 m (236 ft) and is constructed from concrete. The greenery itself is made up of tropical plants that have been put in planters and carefully chosen to thrive in the local climate. While it's early days yet, they will continue to grow and cover much of the exterior over time, helping shade the hotel rooms.
Inside, there's a total floorspace of 11,895 sq m (roughly 128,000 sq ft), most of which is taken up by 129 hotel rooms. Elsewhere lies a restaurant and an attractive bamboo-lined coffee shop which brings to mind the firm's Diamond Island Community Center. It's also topped by a rooftop garden with a bar.
There has been a definite increase in the amount of greenery-covered architecture we've reported on lately and some notable recent projects include Heatherwick Studio's 1000 Trees, MVRDV's Green Villa, and Sheppard Robson's Citicape House. Due to its popularity with architects and planners, the trend is likely to continue into 2020.
Source: Vo Trong Nghia Architects