Vietnam: Contemporary Religious Architecture as a Rare Good

Thu Huong  Thi Vu; Tuan Dung  Nguyen

doi:10.17979/aarc.2021.8.0.8850

Authors

Thu Huong Thi Vu Independent researcher
Tuan Dung Nguyen IKE - Technische Universitat Braunschweig

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17979/aarc.2021.8.0.8850

Keywords:

Vietnam, Sacred Architecture, Genius Loci, Vatican II, System of Values

Abstract

In the 16th century, the first Spanish and Portuguese Dominican missionaries arrived in Southeast Asia, included Vietnam, but only after the first decades of the seventeenth century, Christianity began to take hold and lived through different episodes of the Proclamation of the Christian faith: first it was tolerated and then abandoned by the dynasties, supported by the colonialists, declined in the north by the communists, it expanded in the south under the Republic of Vietnam and stabilized until now after the reunification of the country followed by a long breakage due to political change. Along with this story, sacred architecture was interpreted in various ways to define identities in religious life and faith. However, the most difficult period of religious architecture is not only in the political conflict of the past, but also until now, the time of the economic boom. The change of values as well as the aesthetic system make sacred art and architecture remain a giant wheel stuck in mud.

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Author Biographies

Thu Huong Thi Vu , Independent researcher

In 2008, Huong Vu completed her architectural studies with her Diplomarbeit at the Technical University of Berlin.
In 2011, associated with Tuan Dung Nguyen, she won an honorable mention at the 2011 European Prize for Sacred Architecture, Fondazione Frate Sole, Pavia (Italy).
In 2014, after years of practical activities in the field of architecture and urban research, they officially founded vn-a, an architectural practice with two locations, Berlin and Dalat (Vietnam), and became official members of the Berlin Chamber of Architects.
In October 2016, they won the second prize at the VI edition of the International Sacred Architecture Award 2016, Fondazione Frate Sole, Pavia (Italy), and the Hans Schäfers Award, BDA Berlin.
In 2017, Huong Vu and Tuan Dung Nguyen were appointed full members of the BDA-Landesverband Berlin.

Tuan Dung Nguyen , IKE - Technische Universitat Braunschweig

In 2008, Tuan Dung Nguyen completed his architectural studies with his Diplomarbeit at the Technical University of Berlin.
In 2011, associated with Huong Vu, he won an honorable mention at the 2011 European Prize for Sacred Architecture, Fondazione Frate Sole, Pavia (Italy).
In 2014, after years of practical activities in the field of architecture and urban research, they officially founded vn-a, an architectural practice with two locations, Berlin and Dalat (Vietnam), and became official members of the Berlin Chamber of Architects.
Since October 2016, Tuan Dung Nguyen has been working as a scientific assistant and lecturer at the IKE (Institute of Construction Design, Industrial and Health Care Building) of the Braunschweig University of Technology.
In October 2016, they won the second prize at the VI edition of the International Sacred Architecture Award 2016, Fondazione Frate Sole, Pavia (Italy), and the Hans Schäfers Award, BDA Berlin.
In 2017, Huong Vu and Tuan Dung Nguyen were appointed full members of the BDA-Landesverband Berlin.

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