Southern Vietnam's Forgotten Modernist Architecture Gets Its Due

Alexandra van der Essen's recent study highlights the rich but often overlooked modernist architecture in southern Vietnam. After the French colonial period ended in 1954, architects from Hanoi's École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine and abroad embraced modernism as a fresh start. The capitalist South, backed by the U.S., became a hub for innovative designs. Key examples include Ho Chi Minh City's Independence Palace, designed by Ngô Viết Thụ, the only Asian to win the Grand Prix de Rome, featuring a bamboo-inspired brise-soleil. Thụ also created the University of Medicine and Pharmacy. While this unique style is dwindling in favor of faux-colonial aesthetics, a nostalgic revival is emerging, exemplified by the 2024 cà phê Linh coffee shop. Van der Essen's work is set to be presented at prestigious events like Harvard GSD and the World Congress of Architects in 2026.