Located at 33 Trang Thi Street, in the middle of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, the ten-story Coalimex stands amongst numerous commercial centers and historic sites. The difficulties of this particularly congested area, coupled with the firm’s intent to produce an ecofriendly building, raised the question of how to manage noise, optimize views, and provide natural ventilation while ultimately becoming an iconic building that is respectful of its neighborhood.
In order to sustainably organize the offices in this narrow building, each floor was divided into office spaces of varying size and atmosphere. The façades, too, are adapted to their differing surroundings. Directly in contact with the street, the main façade, made of double-layered glass to block out street noise, gives the Coalimex building a strong identity and a solution to the difficulties of its surroundings.
The pattern of the outer layer of glass mimics the canopies of trees lining the Hanoi streets, and the ‘coal’ symbol, which represents the client, is printed on the glass. The density of the pattern allows sunlight into the building while also offering privacy from the street. This layer also protects against street noise and rain, and generates efficient natural ventilation.
The back façade, which is in a completely different environment than the main, is made of successive windows and loggias, forming a grid that manages the extreme proximity of the adjacent building. The loggias act as interior gardens, bringing the landscape and its natural ventilation in from the outside and adding a sense of expansion to the space.
Photographs: ©Régis Golay, federal-studio.com
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