Vietnam Embassy in Washington D.C

2200 S St NW, Washington D.C. United States

Building Area (sf): 50,000 sqft

Completion: 05/2024

A nation’s architectural identity is bounded by its available materials, building technology, and most importantly, cultural identity. Through over a thousand years of colonization by the Chinese, and several decades of Western occupation, Vietnamese people have borrowed many aspects of these foreign cultures and developed them into their own expression. Today, Vietnamese architecture can be described as the continuous accumulation of architectural knowledge and history. These buildings have been the building block of contemporary vernacular Vietnamese Architecture. So much so that they have become the new identity of Vietnamese architecture. This design-research project proposes a new form for the Vietnamese Embassy in the United States of America that works within a studied framework of contemporary vernacular Vietnamese architecture. The proposed design will be the contemporary embodiment of Vietnamese identity through architecture in a western geopolitical context.

Based on my research, there are three consistent principles of Vietnamese Architecture: Tradition, Adaptation, and Expression. These principles manifest into poetic decorative details, elaborated facade design, and vernacular typology.
The design for the Vietnamese Embassy is defined by the understanding of Vietnamese architectural identity as well as the geopolitical context of Washington D.C. This design entails a comprehensive application of Vietnamese architecture elements while interpreting the surrounding context.
The proposed design is the contemporary embodiment of Vietnamese identity through
architecture. Albeit influenced by the western geopolitical context to fit in with the neighborhood, the embassy stands proudly promoting its architectural heritage.