Located on the Saigon river edge, Diamond Island is a waterfront site of approximately 45 hectares. An invitation design competition, the development brief called for a high-end mixed-use urban village, with a strong community atmosphere and identity.
Traditionally Vietnamese culture is based around the strength of community and family values. These values form the core of Woodhead’s planning ideals and played a key role in influencing the organisation of functional planning, the configuration of public spaces, the creation of streets that encourage interaction, and the provision of a mixed-use environment that celebrates and builds a new community.
The design concept explored and integrated three key conceptual ideas relevant to modern day Vietnam; community, landscape and technology.
The analogy of the crystalline diamond form is applied to sculpt the rising form of the development and inform the multi-faceted nature of the architecture and urban planning. Like a diamond, the form is brilliant, diverse, ever changing and dynamic. The hierarchy establishes a vibrant, active, mixed-use urban core and a low scale, private residential edge. The ‘diamond’ bridges the river corridor running through the site to activate and celebrate the river’s presence and creates a waterfront village environment.
Woodhead received a special jury award for the ‘unique quality and strength of the urban design ideas’ for this international design competition.
