The Dragon Tower in Hanoi by Dewan Architects + Engineers in collaboration with TTA, is the winner of the Global Design & Architecture Design Awards 2022 in the Mix-Used category; the tower is projected to transform Vietnam's landmark. Designed to be the longest building in the world, the 700.000 square meters complex will provide ministerial lobbies, meeting rooms, and public spaces, including a nursery, library, supermarket, restaurants, and a learning center. A water reservoir and green terraces are incorporated into the design to increase the building's efficiency and accessibility.
The building is compounded by two sectors: The ground floor is an artificial topography that holds the elevated offices' bar to form the dragon shape. Inspired by Fairy Mountain, one of the main natural highlights of Vietnam, green terraces connect complementary uses with the main squares. For the reservoir, the architects were inspired by the Sa Pa region, a deep valley of ancestral rice terraces. The reservoir controls flooding by purposely flooding certain platforms in the rainy season, increasing natural ventilation, and controlling the temperature. This flooding area shapes stepped platforms for public activities that extend to create public spaces as an extension of the city.
Dewan's ambition is to create the most extended building in the world. The elevated "dragon" bar will accommodate a series of sections that can be added or removed from the strip to offer more space for the ministerial staff. The bar hosts an internal street for easy staff circulation and autonomous sustainable transport connecting the metro to the different ministries and the city metro system. The head of the dragon forms the tower, a monumental symbolic entrance for the ministers, special guests, and visiting dignitaries. It is also the tallest building in the area and the iconic landmark of the city and Vietnam.
The project symbolizes the rich Vietnamese history and its ambition for the future, with Hanoi as its center for culture and economy. The power of the Dragon king myth reflected in this governmental and mixed-use center embodies Vietnamese society, strengthening the national identity.
Dewan Architects + Engineers has been at the forefront of the Middle East's booming architectural and engineering design sector with projects like Nur-Sultan Grand Mosque in Kazakhstan and their last collaboration with MVRDV, a Pixelated Mixed-Use Community Around BIG-Designed Plaza in Abu Dhabi.
