HOI AN BEACH RESORT &SPA - Promontorio

HOI ANBEACH RESORT&SPADa Nang region, Vietnam, 2008PLANNINGLocation Da Nang region, VietnamDeveloper BTA Development Investments, VietnamPlot Size 120 haEstimated Investment N/AProject Status 2008 (concept design)www.promontorio.net

HOI AN BEACH RESORT & SPADa Nang region, Vietnam, 2008China BeachThe Hoi An Resort & Spa is located 45m south of Da Nang, the third largest andfastest growing city in Vietnam, which isfast becoming one of the dominant tourismregions of Southeast Asia. Vietnam’sbest known stretch of sand, the famous“China Beach”, named during the warby the thousands of American G.I.s whosurfed away their leave at this beachbase, is an idyllic stretch of sand that runsuninterrupted along the coast from DaNang to the historic old town of Hoi An.The drive from Da Nang airport to Hoi An,with the morning mist hanging over theshallow water in the rice fields and withthe Marble Mountain as a backdrop, is apicture postcard setting.Hoi An is a listed UNESCO WorldHeritage Site. The town is anexceptionally well-preserved example of aSoutheast Asian trading port dating fromthe 15th- to 19th-centuries. Its buildingsand street plan reflect both indigenous andforeign influences. It has a compact urbanlandscape of brightly hued two-storeyshop houses with terracotta tile roofs. Thisbeachfront plot is located at the gateway ofHoi An, forming a quasi-peninsula and atthe back overlooking the De Vong river.PROMONTORIO was invited to develop amaster plan concept for a fully sustainableresort. The brief stipulates that theecological system be preserved, as wellas the equilibrium of the fragile culturalfabric, and that disruptive changes in thesocial structure of the town, in its localcommerce, its lifestyle, its routines, itscrafts and means of subsistence, shouldalso be avoided.The architectural concept draws the nearbyHindu sanctuary of My Son (My Sσn),another UNESCO World Heritage Sitein the region: an impressive ensemble oftemples dedicated to the Indian deities ofLinga and Shiva from the extinct Viet NamChampa dynasty dating from the 4th- tothe 12th-centuries, many of which wereseriously damaged by bombing in 1969.Standing along a deep and mysteriousvalley, these totem-like structures standout as elaborate sculptures in striking redterracotta brickwork. This suggestivepresence is echoed in the design of theresort both in terms of scale, material andtexture. On the beach there rise a series ofslim and long volumes that feature doubleheightliving rooms, cross-ventilated patiosand mezzanine master-bedrooms.Skyline from the Beachwww.promontorio.net