Foster's Vietnam debut breaks ground

A ground-breaking ceremony has been held for VietinBank Business Centre, Foster + Partners’ first project in Vietnam.

The 300,000m2 mixed-use development, located between central Hanoi and the airport, comprises two towers, connected by a seven-storey podium building containing conference facilities, luxury shops, cafes and restaurants and topped by rooftop gardens. The taller tower, at 68 storeys, will provide an energy-efficient new headquarters for VietinBank, one of Vietnam’s largest banking groups. The second, 48-storey tower will house a five-star hotel, spa and serviced apartments.

The scheme is designed to mitigate the effects of the area’s high levels of humidity using a low-energy, desiccant wheel. The system draws in humidity, separating the water from the atmosphere and exhaling hot, dry air, which can then be cooled by ground water and released back into the buildings. This is the first time this technology has been applied in the region on such a large scale.