A Modern Tropical Retreat of Ho Chi Minh City

Being Vietnam’s largest city as well as its business and financial hub, Ho Chi Minh City is traditionally known as Saigon with a rich colonial background and boasts a prominent history dating back hundreds of years. Owing to its rapid development in recent years, the country is growing exponentially as it claims the crown to be the world’s manufacturing hub hence enhancing its quality of living altogether.

The CELESTA City residential series has brought about a new addition. Celesta Rise is the first of three upcoming high-end residential developments which are all located within 10 minutes’ walk from each other. Along the arterial road that connects the CBD to the port, the CELESTA City is located in the rapidly developing suburban Nha Be District, within an hour’s drive from the centre of Ho Chi Minh City. The development embodies the idea of a modern tropical retreat for its residents to unwind and rejuvenate away from the hectic city.

The masterplan of the site comprises 5 towers of 20-storey residential towers, a row of 2-storey street front units integrated with the towers and a prominent clubhouse facing the main road, within a site area of 2.7ha.

The residential towers feature 923 units ranging from 1-bedroom to 3-bedroom apartments, offering a variety of products catering for different living needs. The project location allows for an optimal view of the future golf course, substantial green spaces on both sides and low-rise developments at the back of the site. The planning was developed in accordance with the linear geometry of the site with towers positioned to ensure unblocked views for all units. Lushly landscaped ground stitches all the towers together for a tropical escape.

Design strategies such as natural ventilation and sunlight, wall-to-wall windows and generous balconies invoke an open, light-filled living environment.

The feature clubhouse sits comfortably atop the row of street front units in the heart of the development, making it a focal point at the entrance plaza framed by the towers. The recreational lifestyle and facilities of the development are prominently on display and become the unique selling point of the development.

Shielded away from the bustling retail streets lies the core of the development, a 100 m swimming pool, which is the longest in HCMC by far. Spanning across almost the entirety of the project site, this urban retreat incorporates tropical landscaping and a lazy river to further enhance the jungle-like theme.

Coupled with the in-house tennis court and nearby golf course, the project promotes an active lifestyle and enhanced wellness for its residents.

Additional hanging sky gardens are embedded in each tower to provide quiet spaces that are easily accessible for all residents. They also act as important visual breaks to enliven the building façade.

The arrival experience is enhanced by the floating clubhouse above the main entry.

Past the lobby, away from the public realm, residents are greeted with an outdoor deck lined with lush landscaping, feature pools and shaded pavilions for a relaxing and soothing ambience that is graced with dappled light and cool breezes.

Towers massing are humanised through the interlocking play of higher dark grey and lower white volumes which are further emphasised with protruding bold frames at various depths. The façade has taken a stylised design approach with its utilisation of building materials and elements. ‘Frames + Fins’ evoke a sense of layered protection in an urban setting.

The design draws inspiration from ‘Celesta’ which suggests the galaxy that is formed by a river of stars in the dark skies. In order to recreate the whimsical and magical scene, LED point lighting is embedded throughout the screen of fins and frames. The ‘rising’ effect is represented by the illuminated ‘stars’ gradient transitioning from small to large as they rise up to the crown.

‘While promoting a life around wellness, the integrated 2-storey street front units within the towers promote vibrant conveniences to its residents. Aesthetically, its modern façade treatment harmonises well with the surrounding neighbourhood of low rises in terms of its elements, colour and scale. Celesta Rise is designed as a comprehensive residential project that adheres to modern living needs that aims to meet the aspirations of the new middle class in Ho Chi Minh City,’ commented Aedas Executive Director Steven Thor.

Status: Under Construction
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, VN
Firm Role: Design and Project Architect
Additional Credits: Design Director: Steven Thor, Executive Director