THE LOTUS OASIS

by Trixie Bedwei

The project aims to unpack the old layers which once existed within the urban fabric of Hanoi. The old lakes, which have now been taken over by tube buildings and created a ‘hard city’ as a result, will be brought back and turned into new hubs of oases in order to create a softer edge to the city. The project uses the national flower of Vietnam- the Lotus, which will invade the lakes. The main hub will home the processes involved in Lotus tea making and a series of floating tea houses will bleed into the existing city as an extension and further celebration of the resilience which exists in the everyday practices of buying, selling and socialising. The architecture of the proposal aims to seamlessly join the existing and the proposed.