Terra Cotta Studio by Tropical Space

Designing for an artist on the banks of the river Thu Bon in Vietnam drove the architects from Tropical Space Co. Ltd. to create a building that engages with the river landscape and the artworks themselves.



Empathy with the natural environment and with the contents of the building: in a nutshell, the project by Vietnam-based architecture firm Tropical Space for the studio of artist Le Duc Ha in Quang Nam province in the central zone of Vietnam.





A 7 x 7 x 7-metre cube made from the same material used by the artist for his artworks, namely clay. The architects have used it in a variety of forms to create a building where interiors and exteriors are visually connected by an open brick wall that provides both shade and privacy, and still lets in air, natural light and the local sounds of nature. 





This design solution underscores the ties with the location on the banks of the Thu Bon river and references the traditional Vietnamese architecture of the Champa reign. The cube has a raised bamboo platform wrapped around it, where the terracotta products can dry, designed with two large bench seats where visitors can rest, relax, chat and enjoy a cup of tea.





Inside the cube, the architects from Tropical Space have made timber shelving that covers the three floors with 60-sq. cm modules, a giant display area, then stairways upstairs and hallways also form the backdrop to showcase the artworks of Le Duc Ha, while the artist has his work station on the ground floor.



The perforated, light facade almost camouflages Terra Cotta Studio by Tropical Space in the thick tropical vegetation during the day. Then at night it becomes a beacon on the river, so man's architectural work - which here is highly delicate and respectful - stands out in nature.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: Tropical Space Co. Ltd. - Nguyen Hai Long, Tran Thi Ngu Ngon, Nguyen Anh Duc, Trinh Thanh Tu - http://khonggiannhietdoi.com/
Location: Dien Phuong, Dien Ban, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam 
Client: Le Duc Ha Terra Cotta -http://www.datnungcuaha.com/
Photographs: Oki Hiroyuki
Year: 2016