Cultural Center
“Cho Lon” is the name of an area which was crowded with Chinese people living there. Cho Lon locates along Tẻ Canal, stretches from District 5 to District 6 in Saigon, which is called Ho Chi Minh City nowaday. This area previously established as a separate city with Sai Gon: Cho Lon City. In 1930s – 1950s, due to the urbanization process, Sai Gon and Cho Lon were gradually merged together.
The integration tamed two massive culture by the Vietnamese residents, turned them into unique features in lifestyles, activities and hobbies that is hard to find anywhere in the world. Sai Gon – Cho Lon was born that way as a focal point for the Southern region of the country, thus Cho Lon was considered as the first cradle of the nation’s largest urban area today.
The location of the cultural center area of District 5 situated between two cultural areas: Sai Gon and Cho Lon. Therefore, the project is also an opportunity to look to the future when the new ones are replacing the old ones, the challenge between selecting and not selecting to rebuilt the city in the future, inspired by the history.
Culture is a flow, and the flow of Sai Gon – Cho Lon continuously flow on this land. Therefore ,the project proposes opened alternate spaces between 2 cultures and 2 cultures connect with each other by the organic link , from there we create a trip in cultural spaces . In there , people have many chances to interact with nature, culture and also with other people to make culture in the future.
CONTOUR
Architecture and surrounding landscape become one, and together with the building blocks to create a through and curved path, which leads people and closely links the Sai Gon area and the Chinatown area. Its design is arranged by the alternate undulating thing to create a continuous space like a focal point that links two areas Chinatown – Sai Gon.
TEXTURE
With a curved shape and an open – close thorughout spaces, we desire to create an unlimitation in the space. Besides, on the surfaces, we use traditionally architectural details such as patterns, cotton wind, lanterns,colour to recall the cultural space which has been in the subconscious of the people in Chinatown. In the opposite, it is a modern Sai Gon with large blocks and glass frames which make a remarkable reflection to Chinatown.
ORGANIZATION
Instead of designing a monumental architecture, we create a miniature city by integrating the continuously functional space, mixing the two cultural areas. This proposal includes a series of feature spaces of Chinatown’s culture such as lantern’s street, traditional market, traditional exhibition … located next to the spaces of a modern Sai Gon for example: library , theaters, restaurants …
Cultural Center is now a cultural exchanging space. From the organization of the strong interaction design through cultural activities, exhibitions, performances and traditional space, the ultimate goal is the interface between human and human in the culture. From then, the identity China – Vietnam will be demonstrated most dramatically by humans.
Project Credits:
Project Name :The cultural center of district 5″SAI GON in CHO LON CHO LON in SAI GON ”
team 2015: Ho Trong Nhan, Bui Ngoc Tu & Tang Vinh Anh Duy
school: Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture
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