Vincom Landmark 81, a towering testament to Vietnam’s burgeoning economy and architectural prowess, dominates the Ho Chi Minh City skyline. As of 2025, it remains the tallest building in Vietnam and the 17th tallest globally.
The Landmark 81 project was conceived by Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest real estate developer, as the centerpiece of the $1.5 billion Vinhomes Central Park development. Situated on the western banks of the Saigon River in Bình Thạnh District, the mixed-use skyscraper occupies the former site of the Newport logistics base.
The project aimed to create a landmark that not only showcased Vietnam’s progress but also provided a hub for residential, commercial, and leisure activities. Atkins, a British architectural firm, won the design competition in 2014, with Arup as the structural engineer and Aurecon responsible for MEP, facade, and specialist lighting.
The design of Landmark 81 draws inspiration from traditional Vietnamese imagery, specifically the image of a bundle of bamboo stalks, symbolizing strength, unity, and rapid growth. This motif is reflected in the tower’s slender, tapering form, created by a cluster of extruded cubes culminating in a dramatic spire. The building’s exterior is clad in blue glass, accented with colorful lighting that enhances its prominence both day and night.
The tower’s form evolved from a pragmatic square core surrounded by a 6×6 grid of 9-meter square bays. This grid was then sculpted to accommodate functional requirements, such as the reduction in core size as elevator banks become unnecessary at higher levels, while simultaneously contributing to the desired spire-like profile.
Construction commenced in 2015, with the building officially topped out in April 2018. The project involved overcoming significant technical challenges, particularly regarding the foundation design. Given Ho Chi Minh City’s soft soil conditions, a piled raft foundation was employed to ensure stability and manage settlement. This involved a combination of bored piles extending to depths of -71.8m and a raft foundation, distributing the building’s immense load efficiently.
The construction process was notable for its speed and efficiency, with the detailed design for building services completed in just three months using Revit, a BIM platform that facilitated 4D mapping and tracked progress throughout the building’s lifecycle. The construction of Landmark 81 was a significant achievement for Vietnamese engineering and construction firms, demonstrating their growing capabilities on a global scale.
Landmark 81 boasts a diverse range of features and amenities spread across its 81 floors and three basement levels:
Retail: A six-floor Vincom Center shopping mall occupies the base of the tower, offering a wide array of retail outlets, dining options, and entertainment venues.
Residential: Floors 6 to 40 house approximately 900 luxury apartments and sky villas, providing premium living spaces with breathtaking city views.
Hotel: The Vinpearl Luxury Landmark 81 hotel, an Autograph Collection hotel, occupies floors 47 to 71, offering 223 rooms and suites with panoramic views.
Observation Deck: Skyview, the observation deck located on floors 79 to 81, provides visitors with unparalleled 360-degree views of Ho Chi Minh City and the surrounding area. It holds the record for the highest observation deck in Vietnam.
Other Amenities: The building also features a clubhouse, restaurants, bars, an ice rink, an IMAX cinema, a games center, and a variety of other recreational facilities.
The site’s location on the banks of the Saigon River presented a significant geotechnical hurdle. The soil consisted of a thick layer of very soft clay extending down 28 meters, possessing minimal load-bearing capacity. This soft soil, combined with the immense weight of the 461-meter skyscraper, required a robust and specialized foundation design. A piled raft foundation was implemented, consisting of a thick raft resting upon numerous barrette piles driven deep into the more stable soil strata.
This design not only distributed the building’s load effectively but also provided flexibility for design adjustments during the foundation construction phase. The foundation construction itself was a complex undertaking, requiring advanced methods to excavate the 21-meter deep basement area spanning 3.5 hectares and pour 17,000 cubic meters of concrete within a tight 41-hour timeframe.
Given the building’s height, local fire safety codes were inadequate. International standards, specifically NFPA 5000, were adopted, leading to the implementation of Vietnam’s first lift-assisted evacuation strategy. This innovative approach aimed to minimize evacuation time and reduce the risk of injury, particularly for occupants with mobility limitations.
Vincom Landmark 81 represents a significant milestone in Vietnam’s development. As a symbol of national pride and a testament to the country’s growing economic strength and architectural capabilities, it has transformed the Ho Chi Minh City skyline and contributed significantly to the city’s urban landscape.
The project’s success underscores the importance of ambitious vision, innovative design, and effective project management in realizing large-scale developments that contribute to economic growth and national identity.
As of today, Landmark 81 remains a prominent landmark and a source of inspiration for future developments in Vietnam and the region. It is important to acknowledge that this information is current as of today’s date and may change in the future as the building’s status and surrounding urban landscape evolve.
