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Loïc Vendrame (FR),
Same Same But Different
Over the last few decades, Vietnam has witnessed rapid urbanisation, driven by rapid economic growth and massive foreign investment, particularly in the high-end property sector. This urban transition has given rise to constantly changing urban landscapes, marked by the rise of new urban areas, the Khu đô thị mới. These areas, located on the fringes of Vietnamese cities, symbolize the promise of a modern and prosperous future, but they also raise questions about the evolution and standardisation of the country's urban landscapes, and their integration into the traditional urban fabric. By developing rapidly, these zones are contributing to the nibbling away of agricultural land. In the Hanoi region alone, this land grab represents more than twice the surface area of Paris intra-muros [1]. This sprawl contrasts with the traditional urban fabric, creating a duality in Vietnam's urban landscapes by favouring a standardised, privatised type of housing. Vietnam is currently facing a property crisis. Despite this, construction projects continue, but prices are rising sharply as demand and supply fall. This combination creates half-empty zones, where only the outer shells of houses are completed, contrasting with the daily activity of maintaining parks and green spaces (a clean, well-maintained city), and the omnipresence of security systems (guards, cameras). The ‹Neo› architecture (neo-classical, neo-traditional, etc.), inspired by European cities such as Paris and Venice, or Spain and England, is erected as a replica of the ‹dreamed› city, defining a new, more ‹modern› way of life, a Western-style way of living that suits the new expectations of the affluent classes. This architectural aesthetic has become an emblematic feature of most of these new urban areas, making it difficult to know where we are. Reinventing an urban identity in line with Vietnam's global integration, these zones have taken on names that reflect a certain form of globalisation of urban identity: Louis City, Green Symphony, Avenue Garden, The Melody Village, Eurowindow Twin Parks, Mega Grand World, The Diamond Point.
Loïc Vendrame (b. 1989) is a geographer and self-taught photographer. His photographic work investigates the relationship between humans, urbanity, and landscape. With a focus on globalization and standardized urban forms, he documents abandoned or unfinished buildings and peri-urban areas—sites that reflect his concepts of anthropization and heterotopia.
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Notes
[1] Danielle Labbé a. Clément Musil, «New Urban Zones» in Hanoi (Vietnam): spatial dynamics and territorial issues, Mappe Monde, 2017. https://mappemonde.mgm.fr/122as1/ [accessed June 15, 2023]
Images
1–10 Loïc Vendrame, Same Same But Different, Vietnam 2023–ongoing.
Info
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