Visitors to the Grand World Phu Quoc, the entertainment and shopping complex situated in the heart of the Phu Quoc United Center in the Kien Giang province of Vietnam, are greeted by a massive bamboo structure featuring traditional Vietnamese cultural symbols.

The bamboo building, Vinpearl Project is the welcome centre of the Grand World Phu Quoc located on Phu Quoc island. VTN Architects was engaged by VinGroup to create a bamboo structure that embodied Vietnamese culture and would become a symbol of the entire masterplan.

Grand World Phu Quoc Welcome Centre

Spread across 1,460m², the bamboo structure features two traditional Vietnamese symbols – a lotus and a bronze drum – sculpted into the dense layers of the bamboo grid. The bamboo building also meets environmental objectives, using natural and low-cost sustainable materials such as ropes and bamboo pins to connect the bamboo culms together. No artificial air conditioning is used and artificial lighting is restricted to the night time, making it a very energy-efficient structure.

Vinpearl Project uses a massive amount of bamboo – up to 42,000 bamboo culms were utilised to build the structure. The construction process was quite challenging since a large amount of bamboo had to be transported to the island. Vinpearl’s hybrid structural system combines arches, domes, and grid systems together, unifying several different forms to create a unique aesthetic for the project. The cantilever edge required considerate use of cross bracing as secondary structural elements compared to the main structural elements, the architects explained.

Grand World Phu Quoc Welcome Centre

The spatial quality of the building is influenced by the hybrid structural system. Even though the structure is complex with dense layers of systems interlocked into each other, the space is very open and transparent thanks to the way the bamboo elements were joined together. The simple joint system with ropes and low-cost fixing elements, combined with the modular and bracing nature of the frames also increases the transparency of the structure.

The grid system allows natural ventilation while the arched pathway throughout the whole structure connects the inside and outside spaces. The natural light that comes through the sides and the opening in the roof combines with the natural colour of bamboo to create a warm and intimate atmosphere.

Grand World Phu Quoc Welcome Centre

Project details

Project: Grand World Phu Quoc Welcome Centre

Location: Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang, Vietnam

Client: VinGroup

Architectural Firm: VTN Architects (Vo Trong Nghia Architects)

Bamboo Contractor: VTN Architects

GFA: 1,460m²

Completion: April 2021

Photographer: Hiroyuki Oki

Architecture & Design Editor Branko Miletic visited Grand World Phu Quoc Welcome Centre in December 2024.

Branko Miletic

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