National Assembly HQ Wins Grand Prize At VN Architecture Awards

While architecture in Vietnam has taken some major strides over the past decade, it’s rare to see a government building receive high praise for its design. It looks like Hanoi's recently completed National Assembly House is flipping the script.

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The structure has taken the grand prize at the Viet Nam Architects' Association’s National Architecture Awards, beating out the designs of Vietnamese starchitects, reports Nhan Dan.

Four architects - Meinhard Von Gerkan, Nikolaus Goetze, Dirk Heller and Joern Ortmann ─ from the International GmbH company collaborated on the design that drew praise from the judges who highlighted “the foreign architects’ talent, meeting the functional requirements of the project, and ensuring the working environment inside the building.”

They also commended the balance struck between the project and its surroundings, such the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Bac Son War Martyrs Memorial and the Thang Long Royal Citadel.

Construction of the 5-story building began in 2009 and it opened last October to serve as the chambers and offices for Vietnam’s National Assembly.

Well-known Vietnamese architects took home plenty of hardware as well. Vo Trong Nghia firm won three gold prizes in the single house category, public design category for service buildings (hotels, resorts) and another public design category (for schools and hospitals), according to Vietnam News.

Saigon-based a21 Studio led by architect Nguyen Hoa Hiep also won three prizes in the residential house and public design categories.