POETRY OF PLACE

Global Design

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that they are somewhere both timeless yet distinctly Vietnamese," Mr Bensley tells The Straits Times in an email interview from Bangkok.

He wanted to design a haven that was not at odds with the landscape, but played along with it. For that, he imagined a grand opera in four acts: the arrival, the ascent, the discovery and the surrender.

This was interpreted as stretching across four levels — Heaven, Sky, Earth and Sea - allowing guests to experience the journey from mountaintop vistas down to the shoreline.

In “Heaven”, he wanted guests to see sweeping views of the bay and the South China Sea, with a sense of ceremony. Through “Sky”, they experience the shade of the tree canopy and, at the “Earth” level, they are grounded in gardens and wellness.

Finally, at the “Sea”, guests savour the simple joys of sand, water and sun.

“Each tier moves to its own rhythm, yet together, they form one symphony shaped entirely by the land itself. I borrowed from temple architecture, honoured the slope of the site and simply let nature lead the way forward,” Mr Bensley says.

“My journey through more than 50 temples and pagodas across Vietnam from 2006, when I started on the project, to 2012 when it was completed, has left a deep imprint on the design.

“The subtle dance of yin and yang, the rhythm of light and shadow, and the harmony of the five elements of fire, water, earth, wood and metal became guiding principles.”

One highlight is the Nam Tram funicular system, shaped like a boat, which is not just a means of transportation but also a journey.