DESIGN NAME: Hanoi Mirror House
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Public Artwork
INSPIRATION: For many years the Mirror House inside Reunion Park in downtown Hanoi was in a critical state of disrepair with oxidized mirrors, a leaking roof and damp walls. Following Thu Thuy's proposal and design, the Hanoi authorities assigned the New Hanoi Arts Company to renovate the House and transform it into an artistic masterpiece engraved with ceramic mosaic. Thu Thuy got the inspiration for designs from Ha Long sea and Truong Sa waves in Vietnam for the entire work.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Mirror House in Hanoi’s Reunion Park was recently transformed into a mesmerizing seascape using ceramic mosaic tiles by the famous visual artist Nguyen Thu Thuy. Wondrous sea murals capturing the world famous Ha Long Bay and Truong Sa waves cover the entire exterior of the house. The interior takes the visitor on a magical undersea journey showcasing sea life using 3D mosaic murals with over 50 mirrors adding delight for children and adults. The snail shape design of the house provides a unified setting for exploring the wonders and beauty of the sea.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: Entering the mirror house and gazing at the ceiling allows you to be swept into the depths of the ocean as you explore the wonders and beauty of the sea. This experience was captured by Nguyen Thu Thuy and her colleagues in a 3D artistic expression. The brilliant colors of ceramic mosaic murals and 3D paintings provide an opportunity for viewers to imagine the beauty of the sea of Vietnam. Light reflecting on the soft colors creates an illusion of a shimmering aquarium. The exterior walls of the mirror house depict powerful waves giving the entire installation a feeling of unity and wholeness. The ceramic mural paintings coupled with 3D works of art heighten the impact of this unique house which represents a remarkable piece of public art. The most amazing transformation made beautiful and tangible for the present and future.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: -From October to December 2016 : Thu Thuy gave birth the idea and became the Lead Designer for Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mirror House decoration (for facades and interior of the building) with the theme Vietnam Ocean. The Mirror House is located in Reunion Park in downtown Hanoi ( capital of Vietnam).
-From June to October 2017 : Thu Thuy and New Hanoi Arts collective had been renovated and completed the Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mirror House decoration.
- The Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic House start open for Public visiting from January 2018. A huge number of visitors come to visit this Amazing Public Artwork. Many articles about this artistic masterpiece were published on newspapers and broadcast on Television.
FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Social Design
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: Thu Thuy used different techniques of ceramic making in design for the house decoration : ceramic mosaic making (little ceramic mosaic tiles 2.2cm x2.2cm) and ceramic reliefs (to create sea animals and plants), ceramic stones and pebbles (for floor). As a visitor approaches the Mirror House, there is a sense of mist from the ocean as the entire surface of the building is covered with Ha Long Bay and Truong Sa waves, created entirely from ceramic mosaic tiles and reliefs. You can discover our techniques in ceramic mosaic mural making process in document PDF file.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: To create the two millions ceramic mosaic tiles to cover the total of 812 square meters took over one year of preparation, while the artists were able to engrave the huge murals in about five months. The House has total length of 60m and the walls have an average height of 6,5m. The first ceramic mosaic mural of Ha Long bay in the front facade of the house is 30m long and 7m high. The second ceramic mosaic mural of Truong Sa waves in the other side facade of the house is 30m long and 6,5m high in average. The floor inside the building were covered with colored ceramic pebbles and reliefs. The walls and ceiling were decorated with ceramic mosaic murals and 3D paintings.
TAGS: Thu Thuy, Hanoi, Ceramic Mosaic, Mirror House
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: Vietnam has more than 3.400km of beach and more than 4.000 islands. Ha Long Bay was recognized as the World Nature Heritage by UNESCO from 1994. Thu Thuy had been in Ha Long bay for many times. Especially, she went to Truong Sa (Spratly Archipelago) for five times to complete her public artworks there. She took many photos for her research and designs. Thu Thuy's design ideas aimed to promote the beauty of Vietnam sea and raise the love of visitors to protect sea animals and plants. Her two ceramic mosaic murals on the front walls outside the House (Ha Long Bay and Truong Sa waves) inspire the visitors by their aesthetic effects and unique techniques.
CHALLENGE: This is the 4th Public Arts works in large scale designed by Nguyen Thu Thuy for Hanoi city.The hardest part of my design activity is to control the design from the concrete details to the wholeness. The house is very big with total length of 60m and the walls have an average height of 6,5m. The wall forming the snail shell without windows is ideal to decorate with ceramic mosaic murals. But it was really difficult when have to decide about symbol images for the murals. Thanks to my passion to the Ocean and several trips to the sea and islands, I have many inspirations for creative ideas and designs for the exterior and interior of the building.
ADDED DATE: 2018-04-04 15:46:21
TEAM MEMBERS (1) : Nguyen Thu Thuy and New Hanoi Arts Collective
IMAGE CREDITS: Main Image : Photographer Thanh Ha, Photo Journalist of Vietnam Sport newspaper, November 2017
Optional Image # 1 : Photographer Thanh Ha, Photo Journalist of Vietnam Sport newspaper, November 2017
Optional Image # 2 : Photographer Ngoc Thanh, Photo Journalist of VNExpress (online newspaper), November 2017
Optional Image # 3 : Photographer Thanh Ha, Photo Journalist of Vietnam Sport newspaper, November 2017
Optional Image # 4 : Photographer Ngoc Thanh, Photo Journalist of VNExpress (online newspaper), November 2017
Video clip : Vietnam Television VTV reporter Nguyen Huy Hoang , April 2018
PATENTS/COPYRIGHTS: Copyrights belong to New Hanoi Arts Co.,Ltd and A'Design Award
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