Located in Ninh Thuan Province on the east coast of Vietnam, the Mui Dinh Ecopark is a mixed-use development that will span an immense 728 hectares (1,800 acres). Perched on a mountainous coastal outcrop the development will include six separate resort hotels, a luxury boutique hotel, a theme park, a casino, a beach club, a mountain clubhouse, and 500 residential ocean-facing villas.

Despite the massive scale of this development, the Chapman Taylor team say they were careful to make sure the design reflected the local history and also sits sustainably in the ecosystem it will be imposing upon.On a coastal outcrop there will be 500 ocean-facing villas primarily for residential purposes

"The first thing that we, as designers, have to look at is nature itself – what the natural elements are, what the topography is like, the local ecosystem and, specifically, the local weather," explains South East Asia Director of Chapman Taylor, Oscar Martinez. "And that is how we can make it the most sustainable, by observing how the natural elements have worked in place for thousands of years."From above the scale of the proposition is truly evident

Historically, this region of Vietnam was home to the ancient Cham people and the design team studied the traditional materials and aesthetics they used to make sure they were reflected in the final development.

"These elements shaped the design, creating a modern development rooted in the area's deep history," says Martinez. "We felt that we had a responsibility, as international architects, to showcase the geographical and historical context, and enhance its value, rather than just 'parachuting in' a neutral and non-contextual development."

Construction is now getting started for this truly impressive project. Click through to the gallery to take a closer look at some of the concept images for this mammoth development.

Source:  New Atlas   ||  February 13, 2018   |||