The Thang Long Bay Gallery is located in Ke Go’s lighthouse on Vietnam’s coastline. Thang Long Bay Gallery was designed by MIA Design Studio in 2020. It has an area of 1288 m2. It consists of masses that we can define as 6 boxes. This region has a tropical climate.
Hurricane and other weather events on the coastline had to be considered in the design of this structure. It is set against tropical trees and a magnificent ocean view. This landscape and natural environment have been determined as the focal point of the design.
Purpose of usage | MIA Design Studio
The purpose of use of the building is determined as a guest house and gallery. For this reason, MIA Design Studio has kept the interior space to a minimum. Because what is needed are maximum open spaces.
For this reason, it has been built on the open-plan principle. There was a need for venues that could host many guests at the same time. Here, events such as special invitations, events, meetings, special screenings can be organized.
Design Approach
It consists of 6 different space masses. MIA Design Studio has designed all of these masses with the same principle as outward appearance. When we look at it from the outside, it looks like similar masses of different sizes. However, all of them have different and original designs in the interior.
While a consistent language continues in the exterior, a common design language with different elements is aimed in the interior. The aim here is to integrate with it instead of leaving a clear and large mass to the natural area. The fragmentation creates small and large landscape areas. It also gave the building a light appearance.
The design approach of MIA Design Studio is to offer the spaces at the maximum level from the ocean view. A panoramic unity is aimed. At the same time, the tropical climate has been taken into consideration.
Awnings are designed to be deep and shallow against weather conditions. A vertical planted facade design appears along the facade. There is a design approach that seeks to maintain the nature around it.
Space Setup and Program
According to the program, first of all, the quitting area appears. After entering the site from here, we enter the building under a long rectangular eave. The eaves are carried on thin and light conveyors. It has a light and minimalist design. We are in a linear horizontal corridor at the point where we enter the building.
The first box we face is the lobby box. There is the cinema on our right and the technical room and toilets on our left. The linear corridor is again considered as a horizontal eave. It appears as the only circulation corridor of the interior. This corridor connects 6 boxes. Since the MIA Design studio uses the unique view as a design element, it is located on the oceanfront to benefit from the view. On the backside, there is a technical volume box, toilet box, cinema box.
This corridor creates a linear line between the ocean-facing façade and the rear façade volumes. There are 3 boxes on the front. These boxes include the restaurant and sales area, lobby, and mock-up area. There are no dividing elements in these places. Spaces can be separated within themselves with furniture and interior design setup.
However, we do not see any divisive building elements in all of these main space boxes. The departments have a completely open plan. There is also an open-air terrace in front of the box designated as a sales area and restaurant. This terrace is a continuation of the restaurant. It is in contact with other seating areas on the coast. It constitutes an example where both indoor and outdoor spaces are beautifully set up.
Main Design Elements | MIA Design Studio
It is aimed to increase the view of the landscape with the expanded structure design. The building consists of all white boxes and linear corridors connecting it. However, its simple and unique design touches have enabled it to become integrated with its surroundings.
The fact that the exterior is a green facade disappears in the natural environment where it is located, and it has a feeling of settling in natural ways. It has an exterior in harmony with the tropical vegetation. In interior design, the especially important things are the landscape, harmony with the natural environment, and open plan understanding.
On all facades facing the ocean, the view is framed by a panoramic window. With this approach, MIA Design Studio has fully integrated the ocean view with the interior. Its main aspect is the view and the guests who came to the gallery wanted to breathe and memorize the unique and distinctive atmosphere of the place. Besides that, each box has a different landscape design.
Tiny pools and water flows created indoors establish a relationship with the ocean. The plant structure in the outer environment and on the facade has been moved to the interior with landscape elements. At the same time, we encounter a different lighting design in every place.
