A CITY-DEFINING SPACE

Situated along an arterial road connecting the city centre with Noi Bai Airport, the Hanoi Lotus will act as an urban gateway for locals and tourists. Emerging from a 19-hectare stormwater mitigation lake, the Lotus will respond to Hanoi’s increasing artistic, cultural and economic demands.

The centre will include a 2000-seat multifunctional theatre, high technology business incubator centre, ice-skating rink, cinemas, offices, and restaurants, creating a mixed-use public venue for thousands of residents and visitors to the Vietnamese capital.

The lotus flower exerts a heavy influence on the aesthetic and structural performance of the Hanoi Lotus. The centre’s pentagonal grid reflects a ratio commonly found in the natural world, including the structural organisation of the lotus flower. Iconic 'structural petals’ draw inspiration from the natural flower, with a layered culmination of fins, shells, glazed panels, and grid supports. Inside, the ceiling of the main atrium responds to the colours and patterns of the natural lotus leaf, guiding users from the main foyer to the auditorium entrance.

“The young tightly-wrapped lotus flower is a poignant symbol of growth and potential before it bursts open into an elegantly-colored bloom. Bouquets of tightly clustered lotus flower are a common sight on the streets of Hanoi and form the inspiration for the composition of our building,” say the architects.