Dolphin Plaza, a high-end residential and commercial complex, beat 140 contenders to win first prize in the biennial 2012 Vietnam Architecture Competition. Situated off Pham Hung Road in the My Dinh area, it was also hailed by the jury as “the focal point of the new Hanoi”.

A long-span structure – the longest in Vietnam at 58.75m – was introduced to create a look and feel of the towers floating lightly above the built mass and public activities below.

Spaces that encourage social interaction were introduced: the sky garden at the podium roof and sky terraces at every third storey of the towers. This ensured that the development did not overwhelm, but instead complemented and enhanced the natural landscape.

Sustainable strategies that prioritise the residents’ comfort and privacy were employed – the building orientation and unit layout shield the units from the eastern and western sun, reducing interior heat gain and the reliance on mechanical ventilation. Units are laid out on each floor along a single-loaded corridor and installed with a series of dramatic shear walls, to maximise privacy while maintaining spacious proportions, and naturally ventilated and brightly lit interiors.

Resonating with DP Architect’s belief in green architecture, Dolphin Plaza enhances the wellbeing of its residents through nurturing socialization spaces and harmonising botany into urbanity, creating a development that envelops residents in a cocoon of nature and comfort.