TRUNG NGUYEN GARDEN – ARCHITECTURE BRINGS PEOPLE CLOSE TO NATURE
Trung Nguyen Garden is an architectural expansion project of the Hong Hanh Restaurant located in Bai Chay, Ha Long, Quang Ninh. Ha Long is a famous coastal city known for the world heritage site of Ha Long Bay. In recent years, the city has developed rapidly with hotels and restaurants being built quickly. However, most projects mainly focus on usage efficiency and construction progress to meet business needs. Therefore, creating an emotionally rich architectural space that brings meaning and long-term benefits to both tourists and investors is significant.
The construction site covers an area of 375m2, located in front of the main road of the Bai Chay tourist area in Ha Long, a bustling center of hotels, commerce, and services. Behind it is a steep hillside interwoven with natural greenery. Approaching the site, our initial idea was to construct a building that harmoniously connects with the surrounding landscape, minimizes the impact of noise pollution on the interior space, and opens up a quiet, nature-close space amidst a busy tourist center. This could be a unique experiential space where guests can enjoy the cuisine and drinks of the restaurant.
The first requirement is that the project needs to be built and completed within a short time frame (about 4 months) with a usable area of over 1000 m2. We have decided to choose a model with a simple structure, a prefabricated steel frame as the main structure, and glass sliding doors that can be opened and closed to create spaces that are both private and connected. The vertical surfaces are made of glass to increase the view around and create transparency for the building. To create a natural, quiet space, while also reducing heat radiation for the building, we have created a facade with simple wooden slats and a system of greenery surrounding the usable spaces.
The space has a simple layout, an open rectangle on all four sides, maximizing the view around and the light entering the building. The interior space is arranged with staggered partition walls, not fully enclosed, creating spaces that are both separated and connected. We use materials with different textures and colors for the walls, hoping to create a multi-colored, three-dimensional space that serves as both a background and a highlight for the interior space. The combination of brick walls and glass walls creates spaces that are both closed and open; both communal and private interwoven with each other.
On the first floor, the entrance is led by a small corridor lined with green bamboo trees, from there opening up a garden in front of the building. Here, you will find a garden with many types of trees arranged at different levels that all blending together. These will give you a cool, quiet and pleasant atmosphere, even though the project is very close to major roads. In the garden, there are a few sets of wooden tables and chairs, you can sit and drink coffee under the trees, and look at the road through the fence wall made of large glass panels. These glass panels not only serve to block out noise and dust from the outside but also do not obstruct the view from the inside.
The facades around the building feature balconies with plants, creating a green envelope that not only impresses from the outside and harmonizes with the surrounding scenery but also provides shade, resulting in a cool and comfortable space inside. From within, one can see an interwoven array of plants and flowers, including herbs, ornamentals, and a variety of colorful species, forming a rich and appealing tapestry of vegetation.
Outside the balconies, we have created a frontage with natural wooden slats combined with greenery, resulting in a facade that intertwines architectural elements with nature. We used natural, unevenly sized, unplaned, unpainted wood planks to showcase the natural beauty of the wood material. These planks are preservative-free and exposed to the elements, so they are designed to be sturdy and easily replaceable in case of any damage.
With this project, we continue to pursue the design philosophy of "more simple, more sustainable", seeking architectural solutions that are straightforward and durable; meeting functional needs and efficiency while still creating a unique architectural space. In this project, the architects have aimed to create a simple, sustainable space that is close to nature, where people can enjoy food, tea, and coffee as if they were in their own garden. A place where each visitor can feel nature, appreciate the beauty of natural materials, and connect with nature through architecture