Previously the local government approved the planning proposal to destroy the 32-hectare mangrove forest in the center of the CBD for residential and commercial buildings. But the new highest leader of the Binh Thuan Province has been determined to support our proposed project of rescuing this precious nature-born green lung of the city and developing it into an ecological park with public amenities. The context was unique but also familiar in Southeast Asia countries where urbanization is in progress. The site was once farmland, including salt fields and shrimp farms.
The site has been an abandoned area since 2003 when the water condition was no more suitable. As a surprising result, a 28-ha mangrove garden has been growing green ever since, with a diverse range of aquatic ecosystems and birds. However, the weakness of this natural landscape was the artificial rectangular grid-patterned topographic left from farming filled with standing water.
We try to make the topographical weakness a strength. From a friendly landscaping point of view, we are not replacing the terrain with a more organic version. We create a maze-like landscape structure out of existing land and water by simply making openings to allow water circulation. This mutual reclamation of land and water helps to improve the ecosystem's environment and forms a unique natural landscape that can improve and diversify itself day by day.
The Park begins with a long entrance spreading along the main street, functioning as a community square, responding to the lack of local public gathering space. People can always have a dramatic view of nature from a crowded city plaza from the outstanding sunken viewing decks along the stepped embankment. This scenery contradiction makes the place unique.
Visitors can walk or cycle on the bridges from this entrance to the rest of the park, including the low bridge and sky bridge. For adventurous-minded visitors, one can do kayaking or trekking on the trails.
The heart of this park is the viewing tower called the V Infinity. This loop structure makes visitors step up from inside every wing before walking out to the stepped viewing platform at the top for a spectacular aerial view of the mangrove carpet and descending to get back down. The tower can also function as a community hall and a three-wing open-air theatre for cultural events.
In the hope of making every piece of land a better place with a sustainable design solution, the project wishes to become an example for healing and bringing to life every abandoned and exploited agricultural land in developing countries.
