Brick Boxing

A brick building gives a Vietnamese artist a dedicated place for creating clay sculptures and potteries.

- Martin Teo

There’s a certain allure when it comes to building with bricks. The strong formation when strategically placed creates a strong unity that allows bricks to stand out on its own. At the slightest glimpse of these terracotta blocks, the soul warms up with a smidgen of wonderment.

Since bricks are the most common material in Vietnam, they are cheap and easily available. The design team aims to prove the rustic beauty of bricks under the sunlight, which ultimately becomes a signature inspiration to their creations.

“It’s like pulling out the soil from the land and using it to create the shell of the studio,” Nguyen Hai Long and Tran Thi Ngu Ngon share in unison. Both the architects and founders of Tropical Space Co. Ltd opine that this latest project is the epitome of interaction between light, wind and the environment.

Perched next to the Thu Bon river in Dien Ban district of Quang Nam Province, is the Terra Cotta Studio, a home to elaborate clay sculptures and art pieces of renowned Vietnamese artist Le Duc Ha. When the idea of the structure is conceived - among many considerable aspects – the architects consider one very important component. It is the surrounding agronomy and its dependency to the Thu Bon river.

For the locals who are masters in traditional craft such as terracotta, mat weaving and silk products, the river holds a strong influence. The architects understand there is no way for them to change the nature of the place. Instead, all elements are embraced and they create a beautiful art structure for people to engage in, both inside and out.

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not just a cube