Status: Exhibition 11 January 2025- 16 January 2025
Program: Pavilion
Construction time: 1 day
Budget: 4000 USD
Location: ConsHub, National Convention Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam
Site area: 1.750m2
Client: Ashui
Behind Vietnam’s ongoing development and completed buildings lies the quiet presence of “Unsung Heroes” in the construction process. These include construction workers and essential equipment, materials, and construction technologies crucial for ensuring durability from the very foundation. Frequently, these workers and materials quietly depart the site after the groundwork is completed, moving on to new projects while attention shifts to the building's exterior. Over time, their significant contributions tend to fade from memory because they remain unseen.
After Typhoon Yagi caused significant damage in Northern Vietnam in September 2024, underground infrastructure works once again demonstrated their importance in protecting dikes and piers, preventing erosion and land subsidence, and reinforcing weak soil, thereby facilitating the swift restoration of vital infrastructure projects.
To show appreciation for their contribution, the structure is created from steel sheet piles of varying lengths, stacked to form temporary "Steel Altars"—a modern symbol celebrating the culture and enduring spirit of construction.
Retaining its original weathered colors with attached soil, the Pavilion offers visitors a tactile experience. Every rugged detail and trace of time on its surface tells the story of its journey alongside prominent structures. Additionally, the steel beams are arranged in a zigzag pattern, creating an open space for visitors to freely explore and enjoy the lush greenery peeking through the gaps. The contrast between the rusty steel and vibrant tropical greenery generates a powerful and captivating aesthetic that is both unique and deeply inspiring.
There are 69 steel sheet piles, ranging from 12m to 6m in length, stacked together. Thanks to the easy handling of the material for infrastructure work, the pavilion was constructed in just one day with only four workers. This helped to realize one-fourth of the budget, 4,000 USD, to construct the large pavilion without trash. The steel piles were then returned to the yard to wait for the next construction site.
On the occasion of the Ashui Awards ceremony in Vietnam, which celebrates the components and collaborators who come together to create architectural works, including the indispensable "unsung heroes," the Rhythm of Steel will serve as a bridge for the construction industry, a space where everyone can recognize and honor the indispensable yet often overlooked contributions of materials and technology. These silent values are the foundation of extraordinary accomplishments.
[Design]
Design team: Takashi Niwa, Tran Thanh Tung, Trinh Thuy Hien, Bui Thi Thanh
Collaborators: Wakasa Yuta, Maho Shimazaki
Contractor: ConsMedia
Supplier: Viglacera AAC, 3T Group Viet Nam
Lighting Supplier: IDA Lighting
[Photographs]
Photographs: Minh Anh – NOTES, Tan Nguyen