Crazy House at Da Lat ...
Madame Hang Nga est la fille de l’ancien secrétaire général du parti communiste Truong Chinh, elle a obtenu son diplôme d’architecte à Moscou. Puis, après plusieurs années de travail auprès du gouvernement vietnamien, elle a décidé de se consacrer à son rêve de créer une maison comme aucune autre dans le monde, une maison inspirée de la nature. Hang Nga a déclaré à CNN Travel que : « Crazy House est le point culminant de ma vie et de ma créativité : tout est réuni dans cette structure. Je voulais créer quelque chose d’original, de pionnier, différent de tout ce qui se trouve dans le monde ».
La Crazy House de Dalat est créée pour rapprocher l'Homme de la naturePour réaliser son rêve, Hang Nga a du faire face à plusieurs obstacles. En commençant par l’opposition du gouvernement pour la construction de cette maison. En effet, Hang Nga ne voulait suivre aucune stratégie architecturale et créer entièrement la maison. Cela représentait des risques sécuritaires sur la fiabilité de la structure. Il y avait aussi l’esthétisme de l’édifice qui était critiqué, car il ne correspondait pas du tout au style colonial de Dalat. De plus, avec le désaccord du gouvernement, Hang Nga n’avait pas de soutiens financiers pour la construction de la maison folle. Mais, celle-ci était plutôt téméraire, elle ne baissa pas les bras et réussi à obtenir des financements privés grâce à sa famille et à ses amis, lui permettant de débuter la construction de la maison folle. Puis, le gouvernement finit par céder et soutenir Hang Nga dans son projet fou… lui évitant ainsi de nombreuses restrictions.
Lorsque Hang Nga débuta la réalisation de la Crazy House, elle n’avait pas pour objectif d’en faire une maison d’hôte. Mais, la réalisation de ce projet avait nécessité de gros moyens financiers, engendrant ainsi 30 millions VND de dettes, une somme plutôt exorbitante… Alors, en 1990 l’architecte ouvrit la maison au public pour qu’ils puissent la visiter mais aussi y dormir. En plus de leurs originalités, les chambres offrent tout l’équipement nécessaire à un hôtel de luxe. De quoi allier fantaisie et confort pour un séjour des plus agréables.
Aujourd’hui, la maison est en perpétuelle construction depuis son ouverture au public.La maison folle est l’une des attractions touristiques majeures de Dalat et pour cette raison, le gouvernement participe financièrement à ses projets actuels et futurs. En effet, la maison folle est citée dans de nombreux guides touristiques comme le Lonely Planet. Elle est aussi classée parmi les 10 bâtiments les plus bizarres au monde selon le quotidien du peuple chinois.
On peut dire que The Crazy Guesthouse est un mariage parfait entre l’aspect poétique et la beauté naturelle de Dalat.
Hằng Nga guesthouse (Vietnamese: Biệt thự Hằng Nga), popularly known as the “Crazy House” (Vietnamese: Ngôi nhà quái dị), is an unconventional building designed and constructed by Vietnamese architect Đặng Việt Nga in Đà Lạt, Vietnam.
Described as a “fairy tale house” (Hằng Nga, Vietnamese: 姮娥, is the Chinese goddess of the Moon), the building's overall design resembles a giant tree, incorporating sculptured design elements representing natural forms such as animals, mushrooms, spider webs and caves. Its architecture, comprising complex, organic, non-rectilinear shapes, has been described as expressionist. Nga has acknowledged the inspiration of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí in the building's design, and visitors have variously drawn parallels between it and the works of artists such as Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney.[1][2] Since its opening in 1990, the building has gained recognition for its unique architecture, being highlighted in numerous guidebooks and listed as one of the world's ten most “bizarre” buildings in the Chinese People's Daily.[3][4]
Design[edit]
The guesthouse's exterior is decorated with twisting organic forms.
A cave-shaped stairway.
Hang Nga guesthouse was originally built as a personal project by Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga, opening to the public in 1990. Nga, daughter of Trường Chinh, who received a PhD in architecture from the University of Moscow, has stated that her overall design was inspired by the natural environment surrounding of the city of Da Lat, along with the work of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.[1][4]
Architecture[edit]
Rather than using standard architectural plans as blueprints, Nga produces paintings, and hires non-professional local craftsmen to transform these into structural elements. Few right angles are found throughout the building,[4] which instead boasts a complex organic structure echoing natural forms. The building's exterior resembles a five-story-high banyan tree,[5] with unevenly shaped window openings and branch-like structures that "grow" along its walls and rise above the roof into the sky.[3] Describing it as a "fairy tale house", observers have variously drawn comparisons between the building's architecture and the works of Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney.[2][4] In attempting to classify the building's architecture, the People's Committee of the city of Đà Lạt described it as “expressionist”.[1]
Interior design[edit]
The guesthouse has ten themed guest rooms,[6] each one having an animal as its theme; examples include the tiger room, the eagle room, the ant room and the kangaroo room, each with decorations matching the theme. The walls of the tiger room, for instance, feature a large tiger with glowing red eyes; the kangaroo room incorporates a sculpted kangaroo with a fireplace in its belly; the fireplace in the eagle room is in the form of a giant eagle's egg. Many of the rooms incorporate an added level of symbolism, with the animal theme connected to a particular nationality. For instance, Nga describes the tiger room as representing “the strengths of the Chinese”; the eagle room as being “big and strong” like Americans; and the ant room as representing the “hard working Vietnamese”.[1]
Furniture inside the rooms is handcrafted—and sometimes even built into the rooms themselves—to match the rooms’ nonlinear, organic shape. Stone decorations throughout the house depict animals such as bears, giraffes, frogs, spiders and ants, along with natural elements such as mushrooms and spider webs. Stairways and hallways inside the building are designed to resemble tunnels and caves.[1][4][5]
Reactions to the guesthouse's unique architecture have been mixed.
The five-storey-high guesthouse has generated a great deal of attention and controversy since its inception, with reactions ranging from criticism and derision to open admiration. The house was dubbed the "Crazy House" by early visitors, a name which Dang soon adopted for the house herself.[3]
Visitors have generally responded positively to the house, describing it as "brave", "brilliant", "quintessentially cosmic", and lauding Nga for her vision and dedication to her work.[2] One French tourist commented as follows:
Thanks for showing me the meaning of life. The fairy tale house took me back to my childhood, to when things were pure and natural.[3]
Local authorities, including the People's Committee of the city of Da Lat, opposed Nga's work on the house for many years, rejecting her proposals while citing concerns about its ad-hoc character, its lack of formal aesthetic and its structural integrity. With perseverance—and private funding from friends and family—Dang was nevertheless able to further develop and refine the house, and was eventually able to convince the national government in Hanoi to endorse her work, allowing her to continue building without restrictions.[1][3]
The building has been highlighted in numerous travel guidebooks: the third edition of Frommer's Vietnam, for example, called the guesthouse "an interesting, evolving piece of pop art", and "a fun visit".[7] In 2009, the building was listed by the Chinese People’s Daily as one of the world's ten most “bizarre” buildings.[3]
Crazy House at Da Lat ...
Madame Hang Nga est la fille de l’ancien secrétaire général du parti communiste Truong Chinh, elle a obtenu son diplôme d’architecte à Moscou. Puis, après plusieurs années de travail auprès du gouvernement vietnamien, elle a décidé de se consacrer à son rêve de créer une maison comme aucune autre dans le monde, une maison inspirée de la nature. Hang Nga a déclaré à CNN Travel que : « Crazy House est le point culminant de ma vie et de ma créativité : tout est réuni dans cette structure. Je voulais créer quelque chose d’original, de pionnier, différent de tout ce qui se trouve dans le monde ».
La Crazy House de Dalat est créée pour rapprocher l'Homme de la naturePour réaliser son rêve, Hang Nga a du faire face à plusieurs obstacles. En commençant par l’opposition du gouvernement pour la construction de cette maison. En effet, Hang Nga ne voulait suivre aucune stratégie architecturale et créer entièrement la maison. Cela représentait des risques sécuritaires sur la fiabilité de la structure. Il y avait aussi l’esthétisme de l’édifice qui était critiqué, car il ne correspondait pas du tout au style colonial de Dalat. De plus, avec le désaccord du gouvernement, Hang Nga n’avait pas de soutiens financiers pour la construction de la maison folle. Mais, celle-ci était plutôt téméraire, elle ne baissa pas les bras et réussi à obtenir des financements privés grâce à sa famille et à ses amis, lui permettant de débuter la construction de la maison folle. Puis, le gouvernement finit par céder et soutenir Hang Nga dans son projet fou… lui évitant ainsi de nombreuses restrictions.
Lorsque Hang Nga débuta la réalisation de la Crazy House, elle n’avait pas pour objectif d’en faire une maison d’hôte. Mais, la réalisation de ce projet avait nécessité de gros moyens financiers, engendrant ainsi 30 millions VND de dettes, une somme plutôt exorbitante… Alors, en 1990 l’architecte ouvrit la maison au public pour qu’ils puissent la visiter mais aussi y dormir. En plus de leurs originalités, les chambres offrent tout l’équipement nécessaire à un hôtel de luxe. De quoi allier fantaisie et confort pour un séjour des plus agréables.
Aujourd’hui, la maison est en perpétuelle construction depuis son ouverture au public.La maison folle est l’une des attractions touristiques majeures de Dalat et pour cette raison, le gouvernement participe financièrement à ses projets actuels et futurs. En effet, la maison folle est citée dans de nombreux guides touristiques comme le Lonely Planet. Elle est aussi classée parmi les 10 bâtiments les plus bizarres au monde selon le quotidien du peuple chinois.
On peut dire que The Crazy Guesthouse est un mariage parfait entre l’aspect poétique et la beauté naturelle de Dalat.
Hằng Nga guesthouse (Vietnamese: Biệt thự Hằng Nga), popularly known as the “Crazy House” (Vietnamese: Ngôi nhà quái dị), is an unconventional building designed and constructed by Vietnamese architect Đặng Việt Nga in Đà Lạt, Vietnam.
Described as a “fairy tale house” (Hằng Nga, Vietnamese: 姮娥, is the Chinese goddess of the Moon), the building's overall design resembles a giant tree, incorporating sculptured design elements representing natural forms such as animals, mushrooms, spider webs and caves. Its architecture, comprising complex, organic, non-rectilinear shapes, has been described as expressionist. Nga has acknowledged the inspiration of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí in the building's design, and visitors have variously drawn parallels between it and the works of artists such as Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney.[1][2] Since its opening in 1990, the building has gained recognition for its unique architecture, being highlighted in numerous guidebooks and listed as one of the world's ten most “bizarre” buildings in the Chinese People's Daily.[3][4]
Design[edit]
The guesthouse's exterior is decorated with twisting organic forms.
A cave-shaped stairway.
Hang Nga guesthouse was originally built as a personal project by Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga, opening to the public in 1990. Nga, daughter of Trường Chinh, who received a PhD in architecture from the University of Moscow, has stated that her overall design was inspired by the natural environment surrounding of the city of Da Lat, along with the work of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.[1][4]
Architecture[edit]
Rather than using standard architectural plans as blueprints, Nga produces paintings, and hires non-professional local craftsmen to transform these into structural elements. Few right angles are found throughout the building,[4] which instead boasts a complex organic structure echoing natural forms. The building's exterior resembles a five-story-high banyan tree,[5] with unevenly shaped window openings and branch-like structures that "grow" along its walls and rise above the roof into the sky.[3] Describing it as a "fairy tale house", observers have variously drawn comparisons between the building's architecture and the works of Salvador Dalí and Walt Disney.[2][4] In attempting to classify the building's architecture, the People's Committee of the city of Đà Lạt described it as “expressionist”.[1]
Interior design[edit]
The guesthouse has ten themed guest rooms,[6] each one having an animal as its theme; examples include the tiger room, the eagle room, the ant room and the kangaroo room, each with decorations matching the theme. The walls of the tiger room, for instance, feature a large tiger with glowing red eyes; the kangaroo room incorporates a sculpted kangaroo with a fireplace in its belly; the fireplace in the eagle room is in the form of a giant eagle's egg. Many of the rooms incorporate an added level of symbolism, with the animal theme connected to a particular nationality. For instance, Nga describes the tiger room as representing “the strengths of the Chinese”; the eagle room as being “big and strong” like Americans; and the ant room as representing the “hard working Vietnamese”.[1]
Furniture inside the rooms is handcrafted—and sometimes even built into the rooms themselves—to match the rooms’ nonlinear, organic shape. Stone decorations throughout the house depict animals such as bears, giraffes, frogs, spiders and ants, along with natural elements such as mushrooms and spider webs. Stairways and hallways inside the building are designed to resemble tunnels and caves.[1][4][5]
Reactions to the guesthouse's unique architecture have been mixed.
The five-storey-high guesthouse has generated a great deal of attention and controversy since its inception, with reactions ranging from criticism and derision to open admiration. The house was dubbed the "Crazy House" by early visitors, a name which Dang soon adopted for the house herself.[3]
Visitors have generally responded positively to the house, describing it as "brave", "brilliant", "quintessentially cosmic", and lauding Nga for her vision and dedication to her work.[2] One French tourist commented as follows:
Thanks for showing me the meaning of life. The fairy tale house took me back to my childhood, to when things were pure and natural.[3]
Local authorities, including the People's Committee of the city of Da Lat, opposed Nga's work on the house for many years, rejecting her proposals while citing concerns about its ad-hoc character, its lack of formal aesthetic and its structural integrity. With perseverance—and private funding from friends and family—Dang was nevertheless able to further develop and refine the house, and was eventually able to convince the national government in Hanoi to endorse her work, allowing her to continue building without restrictions.[1][3]
The building has been highlighted in numerous travel guidebooks: the third edition of Frommer's Vietnam, for example, called the guesthouse "an interesting, evolving piece of pop art", and "a fun visit".[7] In 2009, the building was listed by the Chinese People’s Daily as one of the world's ten most “bizarre” buildings.[3]