ĐÔNG PHƯƠNG Y ĐẠO Medical Center

Vietnamese Oriental Medicine has developed throughout the country’s history since ancient times, combining the basic theories of traditional Oriental Medicine, the experience in using tropical herbal medicine and healing from the ancient Vietnamese community. From the time of Hai Thuong Lan Ong and Zen master Tue Tinh who knew how to use herbal medicine in healing, an oriental medicine imbued with Vietnamese identity was created.

Photography by © Trieu Chien

As Western medicine developed and showed rapid effect, our Traditional Medicine gradually lost its popularity. Thousands of great remedies, millions of precious medicinal plants are no longer used in healing. However, Western medicine has been increasingly revealing many shortcomings, among which is the inability to clear the root of diseases while Oriental medicine aims to regulate the human body to help eliminate the origin of diseases. Therefore, oriental medicine is still valuable and needs to be preserved and promoted properly.

Photography by © Trieu Chien

Desiring to establish an Oriental medicine center imbued with Vietnamese identity, contributing to the community, using Vietnamese traditional medicine to cure the elderly who cannot afford are the motivations for us to complete this project. The challenge is to renovate an old abandoned villa into an Oriental medicine center with the full functions: Organize medical examination and treatment; Plant and preserve medicinal plants; Process medicinal plants; Organize workshops, educate and disseminate knowledge of oriental medicine. Sell and introduce Oriental medicine products.

Photography by © Trieu Chien

Unlike any other project we have done before, all funding from the time of construction to operation were donated by individuals and organizations. The project was completed thanks to the contribution of everyone. In order to create a place that not only fully meets the requirements of simple comfort and medical functions but also helps patients relax, we decided to completely abandon the design of traditional hospitals which often have long narrow corridors between lines of treatment rooms. Instead, a central public space with stairs and a tea room from the first to the fourth floor helps connect the floors which have already been arranged from dynamically to statically.

Photography by © Trieu Chien

1st floor – dynamic space – including: hall, reception, training room, dining room for guests which are designed to optimize the area and combined with a garden space full of medicinal plants and herbs. 2nd floor- therapy and acupuncture treatment and accommodation area for women. 3rd floor- therapy and acupuncture treatment and accommodation area for men. 4th floor – static space – tea room and buddha space. If the lower floors are the space for oriental medicine to help heal the body, this is the space for healing the mind – calming the soul. In the midst of the faint smell of herbs, the echoes of pagoda bells, you will be relieved and treated from the bottom of your mind.

Photography by © Trieu Chien

Project Info:
Architects: Landmak Architecture
Location: Hòa Lạc, Thạch Thất, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Project Year: 2021
Photographs: Trieu Chien
Manufactures: Toto, Dulux pain, Lava Furniture, Tranphucable, Vietceramics