A Blend of Nature and Recreation, By Sanuki Daisuke

Ben Tre Hotel is a hotel located in Ben Tre, Vietnam. The hotel is located in the Mekong Delta, with rice fields and lush coconut forests as tourist attractions. As a boutique hotel with about 30 rooms, it targets tourists coming to the Mekong Delta.

Ben Tre Hotel view, Photo by Hiroyuki Oki

The hotel is expected to cost less and has a good relationship with the surrounding nature. Therefore, at the request of the client, Sanuki Daisuke architects created this hotel with the theme "Slipping into the realm of Ben Tre". With that in mind, he created a hotel where the 'nature' of the Ben Tre area emerged with a pleasant breeze and enjoyed just by walking.

Top view Ben Tre Hotel, Photo by Hiroyuki Oki

However, the Sanuki Daisuke team had another challenge: the condition of this site has an elongated and narrow shape, with a width of 28m and a length of 128m. In addition, the beautiful view of Ben Tre's coconut forest on the site area requires providing a path for emergency vehicles on site, resulting in a very long circulation. Finally, Sanuki Daisuke architects focused the main point of his design on inviting guests to the back of the hotel without boring them.

Ben Tre Hotel view, Photo by Hiroyuki Oki

The design of this hotel has the concept of "Experience Design" as the main point where people can feel a natural wealth even though the location has shortcomings. One of the strategies used is to design guest rooms not in a straight line, but at different angles so that the footprint of this hotel building is zigzag. In addition, the hotel consists of five groups. The structure of rooms and corridors has a corridor layout and guest rooms that are made back to back in each group resulting in visitors getting a view of the entire site. This creates sequences that are not only long tiring corridors but diverse and rotating sequences, allowing visitors to enjoy a variety of views through the arrangement of corridors and stairs upstairs.

Ben Tre Hotel site plan, Source by Sanuki Daisuke architects

Ben Tre Hotel upstair view, Photo by Hiroyuki Oki

To strengthen the character of this hotel, Sanuki Daisuke architects designed the site with gardens planted with palm trees and other tropical trees. As visitors walk along the Ground Floor, green gardens are on each corner, used as public facilities areas of this hotel. Furthermore, the architect intends to get a magnificent view of the landscape and coconut groves with an open design.

Ben Tre Hotel ground floor view, Photo by Hiroyuki Oki

Interior bedroom Ben Tre Hotel stairs, Photo by Hiroyuki Oki

The use of local materials in the form of concrete as the main structure and local red bricks because the Mekong Delta area is a center for making unglazed bricks. These bricks are used for the exterior facade of the hotel exterior walls of the second and third-floor corridors and guest rooms, creating a warm look that cannot be found in other material products. The bricks are arranged with a wall pattern with gaps between them, which serve as curtains that allow impressive light to shine and change according to the sun's movement.

View from the Ben Tre Hotel stairs, Photo by Hiroyuki Oki

Ben Tre Hotel Corridor , Photo by Hiroyuki Oki

Using this brick material, the hotel contrasts with greenery and coconut groves, making the hotel's appearance different from other hotels. In the end, this is makes this hotel "Slip into the nature of Ben Tre" with the experience of hotel visitors who can experience various views through the hotel's unique circulation and can enjoy the 'nature' of Ben Tre appearing with a pleasant breeze just by walking, and the beautiful light changes over time.