Established by the Hui-Bon-Hoa Company (owned by a Chinese-Vietnamese businessman known as Uncle Hoa), the hotel is located at the corner of Catinat Street (now Dong Khoi Street) and Quai de Belgique Street (now Ton Duc Thang Street). Designed in the popular baroque architectural style of the time, the hotel became one of Saigon’s most elegant and impressive buildings upon its completion in 1925.
The Majestic initially had three stories and 44 bedrooms, as per the original design by a French architect. In 1948, the Indochina Tourism and Exhibition Department, led by the Frenchman Franchini Mathieu, purchased the ground and first floors of the hotel and leased 44 rooms for 30 years.
The hotel was officially rated as a five-star establishment in 2007. In July 2011, construction began on two new towers along Nguyen Hue Street, adding 353 rooms to the hotel.
However, over time, the usage of the space and the integration of modern equipment have diminished the building’s original value. The goal of the redesign and renovation is to restore its luxury and evoke the essence of the famous Indochinese architectural style, reminiscent of old Saigon.

Inspired by Professor Thai Kim Lan’s collection of over 7,000 ceramic artifacts recovered from the Perfume River, the idea was conceived to restore and elevate these artifacts to reflect their true value. All ceramic products originate from the earth and are matured through fire. The intense heat of fire hardens the earth, enabling it to endure the test of time.
To symbolize this tempering quality, dark red painted steel will be used. The interplay of contrasting elements—hot and cold, hard and soft—will be applied in the design language to accentuate the significance of time and place.

IMMENSE

Its simplicity and complexity, serves as a portal to the immeasurable – seducing the viewer into the depths of the infinitesimal and the expanse of the limitless. Such a piece transcends its medium, embodying the essence of “Immense” through the poetic interplay of light and shadow, color and form.

Ho Viet Vinh

The landscape architecture of the museum, spanning 16,000 square meters, is itself a full-scale “Lebadang Space” artwork. Paintings, sculptures, installations, and “Space” artworks by the world-renowned artist Lebadang are periodically rotated, with exhibition content and display methods meeting international standards.
The museum brings to life artist Lebadang’s dream of “an immense artwork, a cosmic landscape, a life in harmony with nature, and an eternal vision.” Its location in Hue, Vietnam’s ancient capital, embodies his aspiration for Hue to become the center of Vietnamese contemporary art and culture in the 21st century.

Le Ba Dang Memory Space reimagines the image of Co Loa as a unique creation of the Vietnamese spirit. Emotions are etched into the landscape like a giant painting. The winding pathways lead us into a vivid tapestry of reality, where people and nature merge as one. The soul finds peace, and emotions flow freely.
Brilliant flowers bloom, birds chirp joyously, the breeze carries drifting clouds, and every element resonates with authentic sounds, drawing our minds back to the dreams of childhood.

Type
Museum
Year
2019
Location
Huong Thuy, Hue
Team
Ho Viet Vinh, Tran Thanh Hai, Le Van Thoi, Ngo Dang Linh
Civil Engineer
Nam Viet
Contractor
Rickenbach Development and Construction
Interior Designer
Eric Mignagd
Lighting Designer
Elek Co, Ltd
Photographer
Dalo lab
Structural Engineer
Nam Viet

Press
ART REPUBLIK 1, Elitism for all, Spring-Summer 2020

Youtube
LeBaDang Memory Space – Contemporary Art in Hue – An article by Dalo Studio on Youtube via the link.

The Vietnam Traditional Architecture and Art Gallery features buildings representing the three regions of Vietnam: Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon. Selected works showcase the quintessential artistic values of Dai Viet culture (Northern region), Champa culture (Central region), and Oc Eo culture (Southern region).
Architectural types include communal houses, temples, pagodas, palaces, tomb houses, and traditional homes, crafted from materials such as wood, stone, and terracotta. In addition to architectural works, the gallery space also exhibits wood carvings, stone sculptures, and intricate decorative details.

Type
Art gallery
Year
2015
Location
University of Architecture of Ho Chi Minh City
Team
Ho Viet Vinh
Mai Que Vu

The “Dance of light” stirring a feeling of motion and vitality. This interplay between brilliance and obscurity crafts an enigmatic allure, coaxing the observer to explore the depths of light.

Ho Viet Vinh

(Vinhho, Acrylic on canvas, 130x97cm, Maison de Corail.2024)

At 4:30 p.m. on February 28, the Trịnh Công Sơn Park in Gia Hội Ward, Huế City, will host a significant event—the unveiling of a bronze statue of Trịnh Công Sơn, sculpted by the late artist Trương Đình Quế (1939–2016). This bronze statue, weighing 500 kg, stands 170 cm tall, with a width of 230 cm and a depth of 160 cm. Its design exudes a sense of intimacy and familiarity.

The project is the culmination of years of dedication by Mr. Lê Hùng Mạnh from Gia Hòa Company in Ho Chi Minh City. The journey to place a statue in a public space was far from simple, but his passion for commemorating artists didn’t stop there—he dreams of creating similar tributes for other cultural icons, such as the poet Bùi Giáng.

The choice of Trương Đình Quế as the sculptor was deliberate. He was one of Vietnam’s most renowned visual artists, celebrated with numerous national and international accolades. Born in 1939, the same year as Trịnh Công Sơn, Quế graduated from the Gia Định College of Fine Arts in 1960—the very year Trịnh penned his first song, Ướt Mi. This synchronicity in their lives laid the foundation for a deep friendship rooted in a shared passion for art and music, allowing Quế to capture the essence of his lifelong friend with ease.

The statue took a year to complete at Giang Điền Waterfall in Đồng Nai. Reflecting on the creative process, Mr. Mạnh shared, “Trương Đình Quế and I agreed on how Trịnh should be depicted—as you now see him, leaning forward, as if gazing into a book, or perhaps into his own soul. Naturally, we couldn’t forget the ‘companion’ who stayed with him from ‘the day my mother bore me into this life of burden’ to ‘the noon field, where we met and vanished into the void’—his guitar.”

“The image of Trịnh bowing is intentional,” Mạnh explained, “and it aligns with his own lyrics: Cúi xuống. Cho tình dấy lên. Cho da thịt mềm. Cho cơn mặn nồng ngất lịm. Cúi xuống. Cho đời lãng quên. Cho mây trời chìm. Cho đêm mở hội âm thầm.

When designing the statue’s base, we collaborated with architect Hồ Viết Vinh, who envisioned it as an eye—650 cm long, 350 cm wide, and 55 cm high. This symbolic choice reflects Trịnh’s longing for human compassion: Những con mắt trần gian, Xin nguôi vết nhục nhằn. Những con mắt muộn phiền, Xin cấy lại niềm tin. Even when inspired by Bùi Giáng’s poetry, Trịnh expressed hope and tenderness: Con mắt còn lại nhẹ nhàng từ tâm. Nhìn em ra đi lòng em xa vắng. Con mắt còn lại là đêm tối tăm. Con mắt còn lại là đêm nồng nàn.

This collaboration between sculptor Trương Đình Quế and architect Hồ Viết Vinh embodies the essence of Trịnh Công Sơn’s music—where visual art and sound converge in a harmonious message of love and humanity.

Today, as we gather to unveil this statue on Trịnh Công Sơn’s birthday, it is more than a celebration—it is the realization of a dream. With hearts full of love for his music, Mr. Mạnh and his team gift this statue to the city of Huế as a gesture of gratitude.

“With this sincere endeavor,” Mr Lê Hùng Mạnh remarked, “we are grateful for the support from the Huế City authorities and the province of Thừa Thiên-Huế, who have made this possible. Today, as the statue of Trịnh Công Sơn stands in the park bearing his name, we believe it brings joy to millions across the country who remember him. And surely, our gifted musician and his dear friend, sculptor Trương Đình Quế, would be pleased. For in life, they shared many moments of artistic communion, exchanging ideas and toasting to the beauty of creation.”

See the original article at this link.

Mine Art Gallery
Cam Pha coal mine was established by the French in 1886 under the name Société Française des Charbonnages du Tonkin during the reign of King Tu Duc. The mine’s stratigraphic structure descends into deep underground terraces, with coal seams gradually revealed in the light that pierces through the valley.
The jet-black hue of coal, intermingled with the reddish-brown of the earth and the arid dust suspended in the air, creates an abstract palette imbued with depth and intensity.
The project draws inspiration from the overlapping layers of coal seams, reimagined in reverse to symbolize the void left behind. Construction materials, sourced from coal itself, form layered bricks that replicate the natural striations of the seams. Space, materiality, and landscape converge to evoke the emotional and physical experiences of the miners.

Type
Gallery
Year
2016
Location
Cam Pha city
Team
Ho Viet Vinh
Mai Que Vu

GLINT

The interplay of these hues, it conjures images of a visual symphony, each segment of the painting whispering a different melancholic melody or vibrant cheer. This piece truly captures the ineffable ‘glint’ of emotions.

Ho Viet Vinh