KIENTRUC O was tasked with designing Chuon Chuon Kim 2 Kindergarten for creativity and play in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The Chuon Chuon Kim 2 Kindergarten project was introduced to Ho Chi Minh City’s District 2 as an educational environment that captivates and stimulates meaningful cross interactions amongst the children and the adult. Instilled within the school is an openness with a spark of curiosity that allows people of all ages to venture and explore the space in a relaxing and calming atmosphere. As we have engaged in numerous educational projects, we recognize that these experiences are equally as important as the responsibility of nurturing the kids. It invokes a sense of pride, and interests within the teacher and the staffs. It inspires and embraces them, for they have chosen to dedicate their life for the education and the well-being of the children on a daily basis.

Like a giant Lego building, the kindergarten is constructed entirely in bare brick forming patterns and openings that is playful to the eyes, conveying a unique aesthetic value and promoting natural ventilation.

Classrooms and utilities rooms are organized around a playful core. Each floor is arranged in an alternating pattern to enhance vertical interaction, encourage children to be more receptive of their surroundings, and stimulate their inner creativity.

Juxtapose to the calming atmosphere of the classrooms, the core is ample and full of movement. From the garden on ground floor, the spaces form an aperture that frame a continuous perspective that is visible from outside in and inside out. Continually upward, the interior spaces connect to an open rooftop garden, awaiting to be discovered with a rewarding experience of the infinite vista of the Saigon river.

The journey of discovery in the kindergarten is a very liberating one because of the continuous changes, and the endless experiences that are tailored personally to each spaces. Conclusively, Chuon Chuon Kim 2 Kindergarten is a place of surprises that will never cease to tickle the curious souls, children and adult alike.

Architect: KIENTRUC O
Design Team: Đàm Vũ, Anni Lê, Tài Nguyễn, Dân Hồ, Phương Đoàn, Duy Tăng, Giang Lê, Đức Lê, Tân Phạm
Photography: Hiroyuki Oki