For generations, the lotus flower has been a special image in Vietnamese culture that has been ingrained in the subconscious of Vietnamese people. Typically, in 2002, Vietnam Airlines officially chose the symbol of the six-petaled golden lotus to connect Vietnam with other countries, since then the lotus has become the image of Vietnam in the international sky. Having both color and aroma, especially with the quality of "near the mud but not the smell of mud", the image of the lotus is raised with a profound philosophical meaning. Because of feeling the quintessential beauty and ethereal meaning of the lotus, this flower has always been the eternal inspiration of poetry and art. For Architecture, too, the image of a lotus flower has been depicted in the work, the structure as well as the details of the whole work with profound meanings.
The image of the lotus flower in traditional Vietnamese architecture:
Lotus is a flower that has been associated with Vietnamese people's life for a long time, especially in Buddhist thought, the lotus is respected and occupies a very important position. Therefore, in traditional architectural works, especially in Vietnamese Buddhist architecture, the lotus flower has always been an artistic image. Originally, the lotus was planted in front of the three gates and two sides of the pagoda, creating a quiet and noble atmosphere and landscape. Then, in the development process, the lotus is embedded in the details, architectural structures and sculptures. The image of the lotus flower is concentrated in the main places of worship of the temple, from the reliefs, the pillars supporting the pillars, the Buddha statue's pedestal to the ceramic shapes and rich decorative motifs. But most condensed and creative, there are works that show the architectural shape or the whole image of the lotus flower.
Typical architectural works with lotus images often appear during the flourishing periods of Buddhism. 11th century Ly Dynasty with One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi; 17th century with Cuu Pham Lien Hoa tower, Bac Ninh; 18th century with Tay Phuong Pagoda, Ha Tay, Kim Lien Pagoda, Hanoi
One Pillar Pagoda:
One Pillar Pagoda is one of the typical architectural works inspired by lotus flowers. According to legend, this temple was formed from a lotus dream of King Ly Thai Tong. The pagoda has the shape of a lotus, rising from a lake, with only a pillar rising from the mud (representing the lotus roll) supporting an ordinary wooden traditional building structure (representing the lotus flower). ). From afar, the pagoda looks like a big lotus, growing from a lake.
Nine Products Lien Hoa Tower - But Thap Pagoda:
Also with the image of a lotus flower, the Cuu Pham Lien Hoa tower is a combination of nine-storey tower-shaped wooden structures. Each floor has a lotus platform about 2m wide and 50cm high. The whole tower is 7.8m high, outside the tower are red painted wooden lotus petals forming staggered layers. In addition, in the temple there are many statues of Buddha sitting on the lotus throne, or the system of railings also has paintings of lotus ponds with fish and birds.
Kim Lien Pagoda:
Unlike the previous architecture with roof layers extending horizontally, by the middle of the 18th century, the architecture of Kim Lien Pagoda was compacted into a cluster like a lotus image. In fact, it is the type of architecture that brings the three steeples together into one to form a two-story, eight-roof match stacked architecture. Kim Lien Pagoda not only has the beauty of cubes, architectural ideas, the pagoda also solves well the light, ventilation... From the structure to every architectural detail of the pagoda, it is neat, creating architectural cubes. stable, compatible with other supporting elements such as the curved blade. Standing on the dike looking down, Kim Lien Pagoda looms in the luxuriant grove of trees around the lake, like a lotus blooming on the water.
Tay Phuong Pagoda:
Similar to the architecture of Kim Lien Pagoda, Tay Phuong Pagoda is built more sophisticatedly, especially with double curved and staggered blades. Standing at a diagonal angle, you can see the other three corners, see the expansion of many roof layers due to the use of reasonable heights, like the image of a lotus bud blooming in the green space of the surrounding trees. Entering the temple, we see the image of a lotus flower carved into many parts of the wooden set, or a wooden pedestal placed on the rocks carved with beautiful lotus petals.
If in the Ly and Le Trung Hung dynasties in the seventeenth century, the image of the lotus flower in Buddhist architecture was unique in each pagoda such as the One Pillar Pagoda or an architectural part such as the rotating tower at But Thap Pagoda. In the eighteenth century, the lotus flower became the architectural style of an entire period. It marks a unique art style, which started at Kim Lien Pagoda and was continued at Tay Phuong Pagoda. Here, the beauty of artistic value is in the real architectural structure created to express the abstract philosophical concepts of Buddhism, with only a simple image, that is the lotus.
Image of lotus in contemporary Vietnamese architecture:
Ho Chi Minh Museum, Hanoi:
The museum was inaugurated in 1990, designed by Russian chief architect Garon Isakovich. The building is a rectangular block, placed diagonally, 3 floors high, nearly 20m, each length is 70m. The four square blocks on the top floor are stylized as both lotus petals and 4 door frames. The shape of the work depicts an ethereal image of a white lotus in bloom, symbolizing the noble and pure qualities of President Ho Chi Minh and reminiscent of Lotus Village, his hometown. With unique architecture, combining ethnicity and modernity, bearing the artistic lotus symbol, Ho Chi Minh Museum, a memorial work of President Ho Chi Minh, a great cultural work of the country.
Co Dam Pagoda, Dong Nai Province:
The image of the lotus flower, especially a symbol in the Buddhist art of the East. It symbolizes mystical beauty, magic and deep thought. It would be remiss not to mention the creativity of the lotus image in Vietnamese Buddhist architecture.
Co Dam Pagoda is located on National Highway 51 (towards Vung Tau, in Long Thanh District, Dong Nai Province) and is still under construction. The architecture of the pagoda is built according to the unique idea of the lotus flower. Co Dam Pagoda has a very special feature, unlike any other temple in our country. With the motif of lotus flowers throughout: the temple's background is a mirror, the column is a stem, the roof is a leaf, the wall is a branch, a railing is a wing... around the temple is a lake that covers a depth of 50cm. The total area of the main hall is 480 m2 (12x20x14), the outer shape is like a two-story lotus boat, with the concept of bringing people across the river of delusion to reach enlightenment and liberation.
Bitexco Financial Tower, HCMC:
Bitexco Tower is located in the center of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, 68 floors high, ranked 110th tallest buildings in the world at the time of inauguration. The project was designed by architect Carlos Zapata with the idea of building an "unusual" building but still has a relative connection with the national tradition, so the idea of building this tower comes from the traditional symbol. Traditional: Lotus flower. The meaning of this idea is explained by him as symbolizing the dynamism of Ho Chi Minh City in the period of international integration. He built a tower that was technically advanced, and had the elongated shape of a lotus bud: big at the bottom and tapered at the top. From a distance, the building rises like a giant lotus bud by the Saigon River. The beauty of the lotus image is also conveyed from the glass walls, highlighting the towering appearance of the building.
Discussion about the lotus image in Vietnamese architecture:
Unlike sculpture, architecture is a technical art that has to satisfy both functional requirements and create beauty. And the beauty that is created and meaningful at the same time will achieve the highest level of creativity. With this awareness, designers from the past up to now have tried to attach images and meanings to their works, with the desire to give the beneficiaries the most enjoyable emotions. In a more scientific way, designers have "implemented code" into their architecture. There are many types of code installed, we can distinguish two main types: "code" folk and "code" intellectual. With folk "code", we "decode" easily. It's easy to see and understand, for example the Cuu Pham Lien Hoa tower, like the Co Dam pagoda. With the intellectual "code", when "decoding" we need association and understanding, for example in One Pillar Pagoda, the construction structure is the lotus pillar and the bent cross strut is the lotus calyx. The whole work reminds us of the lotus image. Because it is the result of association, when "decoding", many different "solutions" can be produced and this will create an interesting and attractive emotion.
When "setting code" for architectural works, architects sometimes have to "sacrifice" other aspects to still pursue "setting code". Therefore, we need to consider and choose, for example, the Bitexco tower, to express a bold idea, this project inevitably has its limitations. Because according to this design, the area and shape of the floors are not the same, causing a lot of complexity in design and construction, and the overall area of the whole building is much less than other architectural options, not to mention the economics of the massive array of curved glass. Or because of trying to reach high floors, the proportions of the lotus bud shape are no longer available, not convincing enough, but instead have many other associations: water lilies, corn, rice flowers, or bamboo shoots ...
But we can't deny that with the lotus bud shape, the Bitexco tower has shown a bold creative idea. Because according to the current trend, modern high-rise architecture is developed flat and monotonous with heavy structure, then Bitexco tower will be a bright spot for HCMC architecture in particular and for Vietnamese architecture in general. . High-rise buildings following this trend have become symbols of major cities around the world.
It can be said that the lotus flower is the brightest artistic image and has been widely exploited in Vietnamese architectural art since ancient times. From the lotus flower, we can take inspiration from both material and spiritual values to create a work with a unified and sophisticated overall. Today, the position of the lotus flower is raised to a new height, with more metaphorical, musical and poetic qualities.
MSc.Architect Le Tran Xuan Trang
In recent years, Vietnamese architectural works tend to be inspired by the traditional cultural image of the country, in which the image is widely used and has the most "power", which is lotus flower.
