2026 September 9th
On my final full day in Ho Chi Minh city, at the end of a tip to Vietnam this summer, I came across the book: Southern Vietnamese Modernist Architecture: mid-century vernacular architecture by Mel Schenck, with photos by Alexandre Garel, published in 2025. Schenck argues that Southern Vietnamese modernism is was an innovative modernist style that peaked in its golden age between 1945-1975, in which Vietnamese architects developed a modernist style, adapted for a tropical climate.
I only had time to flick through the book but also had the pleasure to come across Alexandrea van der Essen’s website which contains a number of well illustrated and referenced articles about Southern Vietnamese Modernist architecture.
I had been impressed by the design of the independence palace the previous day but had not been particularly observant of the modernist style of other buildings.
- The style usually include some or all of the following architectural aspects:
- brise-soleil - sun blocking elements
- double wall construction
- intricate design
- cellular design
- abstract composition
- expressive composition
My final morning in the city I managed to get out early to try to find some of the buildings.
I visited -
9-Nguyen
Radio station
Science library
Student dorms
University of medicine
Turtle Lake
After being introduced to the key features of Southern Vietnamese Modernism, examples soon started popping out in shophouse buildings I passed as I was whisked between buildings on my list on the back of bike taxis.
Shenck argues that it is the shophouse buildings that Southern Vietnamese Modernism is really expressed as a vernacular style.
Shophouses
The creative way that the key elements are used becomes apparent as soon as you start looking.
You can find Shenck’s book here.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53209963-southern-vietnamese-modernist-architecture
Alexandra van der Essen has a great site here: https://alexandravanderessen.com/ which contains well referenced articles and great photos. She introduces the concept of mundanism Interesting article in the Saigoneer
Links