Heritage Preservation and Economic Development conference on horizon

The HPED is hosted by the Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City and S&A Architecture, under the patronage of the Italy-ASEAN Association, Italian Trade Agency in Vietnam, Venice Architectural Association, RMIT University, and Aria Collectives, following the success of the series in Hanoi (2019) and Ho Chi Minh City (2019 and 2020). The event will attract the participation of over 70 decision-makers in real estate, professors, experts, and authorities.

“By 2050, metropolises will be home to two-thirds of the world's population,” said Antonio Alessandro, Ambassador of Italy to Vietnam.

With rapid urbanisation and population growth, historical heritage all over the world has come under growing pressure. Hence, it is urgent to re-think the relationship between people and territories which is the theme that Rome has chosen for its candidature to host the World Expo 2030.

"Adaptive reuse is a common practice in developed countries applied to existing buildings with the intention to update or adapt original functions. The initiative aims to debunk the false common perception that it is more economically efficient to replace the built environment or just make new development from scratch rather than restore existing buildings," said Romeo Orlandi, scientific vice president of the Italy-ASEAN Association

These perceptions are no longer applicable in Ho Chi Minh City due to its limited land bank and complex urban planning. Meanwhile, in many prime locations of the city, the degradation of abandoned and pending buildings can be seen mainly due to difficulties in resettling its residents, limited financial resources, and continuous changes in regulations.

The HPED will be held due to Ho Chi Minh City's considerable architectural heritage and potential in terms of urban renovation. The aim is to foster a reflection on the nature and future of Ho Chi Minh City's historical city centre through an architectural workshop.

Revitalizing Heritage Place, the Future of the Past is the name of the workshop done by Luigi Campanale, CEO and design director of S&A Architecture, along with lecturers and staff from RMIT University Vietnam.

The selected site for this workshop was the former Saigon Commercial Port located in District 4 which was built during French colonialism. The workshop provides an academic solution based on the Smart & Creative Cities framework proposed by UNESCO.

The event will also focus on the inevitable transition of the world from a linear to circular economy followed by two successful case studies where abandoned lands have been progressively renewed and adapted, retaining much of the existing building fabric with a mixture of the commercial, residential, cultural, and educational programme.

Italian media spotlight Vietnam’s economic ties with Europe, human rights achievements Some media agencies in Italy highlighted Vietnam’s economic links with Europe and achievements in ensuring human rights when covering a recent tour of some European countries by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

Italian-ASEAN friendship takes a major step ahead Last September, the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting officially granted Italy the status of ASEAN development partner. It is a significant achievement for Italy’s foreign policy in Asia, paving the way for closer cooperation between the European and ASEAN countries.

Fourth edtion of Italian Design Day gives a peek into future of innovation and beauty On November 5, the series of events on the occasion of the fourth Italian Design Day will be officially launched in Vietnam with the theme “Drawing the future. Development, Innovation, Sustainability, Beauty”.