SAIGON RIVER CITY is a site along the Saigon River like no other. By taking a fresh and innovative approach toward the decommissioned ‘Gantry Building’, the developer has identified an opportunity to create an iconic development rich in cultural identity and unmatched in terms of amenity within HCMC.
As designers, the opportunity to work on a site with such rich history and so perfectly located is not one that often comes along anywhere in the world. With an impressive master plan developed by one of the best global practices, the opportunity is there to refine and develop a scheme so as to deliver truly best-in-class development.
Our scheme is not just to provide housing and retail but to create a destination, a drawcard that will attract investors and visitors alike. We have considered both the public and private realms, and the focus has been on lifestyle, perfectly balanced with commercial reality and destination planning.
The ‘Gantry’ is of course a major focus and is able to perform many functions while, most importantly, giving an impossible-to copy sense of place. We have sought to fully understand the opportunities provided by a shell and core sale proposition, and to that end, the shop houses have been designed with flexibility in mind to suit the complex Vietnamese market. At the same time, residences have been re-conceived.
to understand the wish lists of more discerning investors.
With a focus on quality of life, GSA has embarked on a deep investigation as to the best methods of place-making and public realm design, including activating the foreshore, bringing events and character to the plaza, and dealing with a space that works equally well on a weekday, a weekend, in the evenings, and at night.
The South Village will set the tone for the entire Saigon River City Development; it will be a vibrant retail, recreation, and living space that is unparalleled in Vietnam.
Thien is a Chartered Architect with the Royal Institute of British Architects, boasting nearly three decades of experience across multiple continents. His work spans England, Canada, Bermuda, Africa, Dubai, and Australia, and in Vietnam, he is recognized as a Class 1 Architect and Masterplanner.
