{"id":12209,"date":"2025-07-04T09:31:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T02:31:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/the-grid-by-ad-hoc-practice-repurposes-former-train-factory-in-hanoi-as-exhibition-space\/"},"modified":"2025-07-04T09:31:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T02:31:20","slug":"the-grid-by-ad-hoc-practice-repurposes-former-train-factory-in-hanoi-as-exhibition-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cstc.vn\/blogtsk\/the-grid-by-ad-hoc-practice-repurposes-former-train-factory-in-hanoi-as-exhibition-space\/","title":{"rendered":"the grid by ad hoc practice repurposes former train factory in hanoi as exhibition space"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">The Grid sees the Adaptive Reuse of an Industrial site in Hanoi<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Grid, designed by Trung Mai \/ Ad hoc Practice, is an adaptive <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/renovation-architecture-and-design\/\">reuse<\/a><\/strong> project situated within the former Gia Lam Train Factory in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architecture-in-vietnam\/\">Hanoi<\/a><\/strong>. The intervention reinterprets the site\u2019s industrial remnants into an <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/exhibition-design\/\">exhibition<\/a><\/strong> space, framing the existing structure as a repository of spatial and cultural memory. Rather than introducing new architectural elements, The Grid exposes the site\u2019s latent formal logic, treating it as a spatial archive. This approach aligns with the principles of behavioral archaeology, wherein the built environment is studied through the material traces of human activity. The design strategy emphasizes recontextualization, both conceptually and materially, positioning reuse as a form of dynamic preservation that engages with contemporary questions of urban development and memory.<\/p>\n<p>all images by <a href=\"http:\/\/trieuchien.com\/\">Trieu Chien<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">Ad hoc Practice Reimagines Gia Lam Factory\u2019s Layered History<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hanoi\u2019s ongoing urban expansion has led to the relocation and decommissioning of several socialist-era factories, placing their architectural and cultural legacies at risk. The Gia Lam Train Factory, formerly a mechanical hub at a key railway junction, has become emblematic of this transitional condition. The structure\u2019s layered past, which spans colonial, wartime, and reformist periods, provides the backdrop for a design inquiry into Vietnam\u2019s industrial narrative. The exhibition space within the factory is conceived as both an archaeological site and a testing ground for new forms of spatial engagement. By occupying part of the abandoned structure, The Grid reflects on the site\u2019s transformation from production facility to cultural artifact. Through systematic reconstruction, the project, developed by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adhocpractice.com\/\">architects<\/a><\/strong> at Ad hoc Practice, led by Trung Mai, frames the factory not only as a container of industrial materials but also as a repository of memory, labor, and ideology.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The grid-based design draws from two key references: the 19th-century urban planning principles of Ildefons Cerd\u00e0\u2019s Eixample district in Barcelona, and the internal ceiling structure of the warehouse itself, a product of mid-20th-century engineering. This dual reference reinforces themes of order, equality, and modularity, principles foundational to Vietnam\u2019s post-war industrialization. Sunlight filtering through the original ceiling panels creates dynamic light conditions across the exhibited objects and architectural fragments. This quality of light reinforces the project\u2019s temporal focus and enhances the spatial reading of the factory\u2019s preserved form.<\/p>\n<p>The Grid reactivates the abandoned Gia Lam Train Factory through adaptive reuse<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wow wow-yellow\">Collective Memory Transforms the Factory\u2019s Spatial Future<\/h2>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Structurally, the project maintains and adapts the existing building framework. The design incorporates participatory construction methods, including collaborations with students and community members, to explore alternative futures for the site. The exhibition encourages dialogue on retrofitting strategies, slow construction, and site-responsive design, offering a critical perspective on contemporary development practices that prioritize rapid turnover and high-density production.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Presented at the Venice Biennale 2025, curated by Carlo Ratti, The Grid by Trung Mai \/ Ad hoc Practice positions adaptive reuse as a method of cultural inquiry. By transforming the factory into a site for reflection and experimentation, the project engages with Vietnam\u2019s urban condition while foregrounding the role of collective memory in shaping spatial futures.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>latent architectural forms are revealed rather than replaced<\/p>\n<p>traces of Vietnam\u2019s industrial legacy become spatial anchors within the former factory<\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- CLOSE ARTICLE CONTENT --><\/p>\n<div class=\"fullwidth-image\">\n<div class=\"layout-box\">\n<div class=\"page-content\">\n<p>The Grid treats the site as a spatial archive of cultural memory<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\t<!-- OPEN ARTICLE CONTENT -->\t<\/p>\n<p>the former mechanical hub now becomes a platform for cultural reflection<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>layers of history, from colonial to post-reform, inform the spatial logic of the intervention<\/p>\n<p>exhibited fragments and artifacts reflect labor, ideology, and material memory<\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- CLOSE ARTICLE CONTENT --><\/p>\n<div class=\"fullwidth-image\">\n<div class=\"layout-box\">\n<div class=\"page-content\">\n<p>order and modularity frame the project\u2019s formal and conceptual structure<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\t<!-- OPEN ARTICLE CONTENT -->\t<\/p>\n<p>the intervention avoids spectacle, focusing instead on subtle spatial reactivation<\/p>\n<p>the space operates as both exhibition and research platform<\/p>\n<p>architecture becomes a tool for reading and writing the city\u2019s industrial past<\/p>\n<p>retrofitting strategies are tested on site, advocating for slow, responsive design<\/p>\n<p>the preserved ceiling structure acts as a light modulator across the space<\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- CLOSE ARTICLE CONTENT --><\/p>\n<div class=\"fullwidth-image\">\n<div class=\"layout-box\">\n<div class=\"page-content\">\n<p>the factory is reframed as a living document of urban transformation<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>\t<!-- OPEN ARTICLE CONTENT -->\t<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>name:<\/strong>\u00a0The Grid<br \/>\n<strong>architect:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adhocpractice.com\/\">Ad hoc Practice \u2013 Ha noi Ad hoc<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/adhocpractice\/\">@adhocpractice<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>lead architect and curator:<\/strong>\u00a0Trung Mai\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>design team:<\/strong> Viet Phung, Trang Pham, Duong Nguyen, Ha Hoang, Lauren Lu, Ngoc Nguyen, Linh Tang<\/p>\n<p><strong>guest artists:<\/strong> Vy Tr\u1ecbnh, Jennifer Vanderpool<br \/>\nlocation:\u00a0Hanoi, Vietnam<\/p>\n<p><strong>photographer:<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/trieuchien.com\/\">Trieu Chien<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/trieuchien\/\">@trieuchien<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">designboom has received this project from our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/readers-submit\"><span class=\"s1\">DIY submissions<\/span><\/a>\u00a0feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/readers\/\"><span class=\"s1\">here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/architecture\/grid-ad-hoc-practice-former-train-factory-hanoi-exhibition-space-07-04-2025\/\">the grid by ad hoc practice repurposes former train factory in hanoi as exhibition space<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/\">designboom | architecture &amp; design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Grid sees the Adaptive Reuse of an Industrial site in Hanoi \u00a0 The Grid, designed by Trung Mai \/ Ad hoc Practice, is an adaptive reuse project situated within the former Gia Lam Train &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[142],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.7 - 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