The design idea of the railings of a group of students from the Faculty of Architecture being selected and put into practice
Inspired by the pattern of royal costumes
That is an interesting story from a group of students from Faculty of Architecture – University of Science, Hue University. “We were both happy and proud at that time, when the group's drawings received approval for construction from the Province. And it was also surprising that the ideas from students like us could be accepted by the Province to be applied for actual construction,” excitedly shared, Pham Phuong Nam - one of the members of the group.
According to Nam, the group came up with this idea while surveying the system of railings in Hue City. Most of the bridges are solidly designed, but the railings on both sides are not aesthetically pleasing and do not carry many local cultural features. Also, many railings are damaged and degraded, thus not dignifying the beauty and the harmony in the urban landscape.
Thereby, the group began seeking ideas and proposing design and solutions to clarify the message they wanted to convey through the railings, contributing to beautifying the overall appearance of the city.
After doing numerous research, the group decided to take the patterns on the royal costumes of Nguyen dynasty for the design of the railing system. The focus on the motifs on the hemline is the heart of the idea, since these motifs are meticulously stylized with straight and curved lines representing waves, sea foam, the sun, underneath the phoenix and dragon. Once the project was successful, a new railing system would be created, putting a new "coat" on Hue from the smallest things, yet still preserving its own distinctive features.
From that idea, it took the group nearly two months to come up with a design plan. The group members split up to measure the status quo, read documents and study history.
“During this process, we encountered certain difficulties because it was the first time that we had implemented such a project, not to mention the fact that face-to-face discussions were limited due to the impacts of the pandemic. Fortunately, thanks to enthusiastic guidance and support from the teachers, as well as determination from each individual member, we managed to overcome these obstacles,” recalled Nam.
This project won a special prize at the design competition on the 25th anniversary of the Faculty of Architecture – University of Science, Hue University.
Suggesting ideas to contribute to the homeland
Recently, the afore-mentioned design idea has been selected by the authorities and urban planners to put into practice on the walking route along the Perfume River, parallel to Kim Long Street, Hue City. According to Nam, right from the moment when the construction unit began implementing the project, the group was very eager to monitor it on a regular basis. When the construction was completed, everyone was happy because the implementers had helped to convey the ideas of the group to some extents.
According to Nam, although the idea came from a group of youngsters, that the government cared about and accepted to implement it acted as a great source of encouragement in the process of learning and creativity of young people, thereby, encouraging other groups of students and young people to participate in many subsequent competitions.
“I hope that there will be more similar contests so that young people can have more opportunities to contribute to society,” said Nam.
According to the architect Truong Hong Truong, a lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture – University of Science, Hue University, who directly guides the students implementing this project, it was a long story to reach the implementation process, from coming up with the design ideas to putting them into practice.
“Besides meeting the aesthetic, technical and safety requirements for using, the decorative motifs on the railings are stories related to Hue culture and history. In addition to creating sustainability, these railing motifs creates a remarkable highlight, which adds to the elegance of public space on the poetic landscape route on the banks of the Perfume River," said the architect Truong.
According to the architect Hong Truong, there should be many contests in the future in order to seek for creative ideas, as well as provide playgrounds and opportunities for not only architecture students but also students of many other professions to make practical contributions to Hue City. To do this, special attention from leaders, agencies and units at all levels is necessary.
“I think that architecture students have a lot of good ideas, which is considered a great advantage in terms of quality local human resources when they graduate from school later. If exploited and used correctly, this will be a young, creative, dynamic and promising source of gray matter that can contribute useful design products to serve socio-economic development, as well as bringing encouragement to the creative spirit in each individual student,” confirmed the architect Truong.
Story: NHAT MINH
Photo: The Faculty of Architecture – University of Science, Hue University