Breathing Red Brick Building, Wyndham Clubhouse

The Wyndham Clubhouse on Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, is a resort building by MIA Design Studio, with principal architect Nguyen Hoang Manh, concept design by Truong Nguyen Quoc Trung and technical design by Bui Hoang Bao and Nguyen Thi Hao, built by Megabuild. To give the building a vision that is at once modern and traditional, the designers chose a lantern as the main concept: at night the clubhouse-lantern emits a gentle, refined glow and becomes a highlight at the resort entrance. Red brick is the primary material, expressing the delicacy and precision of local masonry craft. By day, brick and tile deflect and soften the harsh tropical sun while allowing good natural ventilation, one of the first considerations for tropical climate architecture. A courtyard inside the lobby reinforces the enduring values of classical Vietnamese architecture and becomes a critical element of the project. The building deliberately modulates and contrasts natural light, and creates cross-ventilation in all areas, giving visitors a relatively independent, relaxed atmosphere. Local materials such as bamboo, brick, wood and grindstone are combined and re-composed to establish a strong connection with the local environment. A basic value of the building in daily life is the provision of ample shade, so that people can linger under the eaves and enjoy light, wind, grass and water.