Hanoi, the political seat of a single-party socialist state, joined the World Trade Organisation in 2007. Kick-starting the privatisation of its many state- owned enterprises across all sectors, the move has unlocked major business opportunities for foreign direct investors (FDIs). The presence of FDIs has entailed an all-too-familiar boom in property speculation in the city, which has come to dominate much of its urban transformation in the last decade.

​

Amongst a series of distinct urban transformations that have arisen as a result, the focus of this research project interests lie with the most conspicuous one: the emergence of the commercial skyscraper typology.

​

In the most part funded, designed, and constructed by South Korean companies, the mixed intentions of this new generation of commercial skyscrapers appear at odds with Hanoi’s existing spatiality, consumer trends and civic life. Conceived for a wealthy minority, these buildings boast the city's largest floor areas yet remain uninviting to most and underused.

​

The aim of this design research is to make a compelling case for the repurposing of this building typology within the city, with a particular focus on the Lotte Centre. In doing so, I hope to foster an unconventional understanding of the skyscraper in the popular imagination - one that resists themes of technological feat and financial logic, to prioritise untapped potential for human spatial experience. Within a lateral scope of research that explores the many factors affecting the typology in context of the city’s transformation, a critical focus is placed on its viability as a civic asset.