Hommel Beer Factory
BIA HOI CULTURE'S ORIGIN: FROM A COLONICAL DRINKING TO A CULTURE OF URBAN DWELLERS
Introduction
Before the French colonization, Vietnam had a long history of rice alcohol production. The beer industry was created in 1892 by Alfred Hommel, founder of Hommel Brewery (Brasserie Hommel) in Hanoi. Along with the Larue Brewery (Brasserie Larue) in Saigon, the Hommel Brewery was one of the two biggest breweries in Indochina.
Beer was the drink that seemed most suitable in the Indochina climate. At first, beer was mainly consumed by the French, then it became more and more popular with local Vietnamese people.
Besides water, the ingredients used by the Hommel Brewery were malted barley and hops imported from Europe and a proportion of rice (preferably denitrogenated). The difficulty was not in the purchase of ingredients of first quality, but in purifying water used, acquiring expensive brewing equipment, and adapting it to the hot and humid climate of Hanoi. Another challenge for the production of bottled beer was transportation. The brewery came up with the idea of producing a draft beer called bia hoi sold in kegs instead of bottles. Over time, bia hoi became a staple of Vietnamese culture and it remains so to this day.
Name: Brasserie Hommel / Société de la Brasserie Hommel / Société des Brasseries et Glacières de l'Indochine / Hanoi Brewery / Hanoi Brewery Company / Hanoi Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (Habeco)
Location: 183 Hoang Hoa Tham, Ha Noi
1.0
Chronological timeline
2.0
Agents
3.0
Investigations
4.0
Architectural and Urban preliminary assessment
5.0
Perspective / Thematic / Narrative point of view
6.0
Bibliography
(Re)Thinking
the modern dream of Recent past
Runner-up
Yum yum quarter
TEAM DATA
ID:
SE001
Team member:
Maria Svetovidova (Team leader)
Semyon Egorov, Ksenia Egorova
From TIArch Studio at Kazan State university of Architecture and Engineering, tutored by Ilnar and Rezeda Akhtiamovs.
Email:
Recognitions:
2018: HYP CUP – “2048 Tower” – 3rd place
(I.Chikhireva, D. Kalimullina, D.Nikolaeva, M. Svetovidova)
2019: Pet Shelter in Russia - 3rd place
(M. Svetovidova, A.Gilfanov, E.Khaziakhmetova)
2019: Q-CITY Market – “Living room of the city” – honorable mention (M. Svetovidova, A. Sadrtdinova)
2021: Sejong High School – “Out of the box” – 4th place
(M. Svetovidova, A.Zaidullin)
TEAM INTERVIEW
1. Why did you choose this site and what issue do you see here?
We have chosen Hommel brewery because of its size and shape. It is a city quarter with inner streets, which can make this area permeable. Also, it has a fascinating architectural vocabulary: from small-scale houses on the contour to large, wide-span constructions of the brewery, steel reservoirs, and old French villas. The combination of two scales and the ability to work on both the master plan and architecture would allow us to present a more full-fledged solution.
2. How do you define utopia?
In the scope of this competition, utopia is an idea of space that people aimed at creating some time ago. As for architectural utopias, they usually stand for the particular image of how the space would live, and how people and nature interact with the built environment. Having learned about the history of the place, we suggested continuing the dream that the people who created the factory may have had. We aimed at creating a bright, lively area where people would connect, involve with the local culture, and have a good time.
3. Are you experienced in handling this issue? Tell us more about your source of inspiration.
We have discussed the refurbishment of industrial urban areas while working on large-scale masterplans during our study projects. Also, we have elaborated some projects for competitions in industrial zones, mostly with architectural implementations.
Some reference projects that were inspirational for us:
1) Fenix Food Factory in Rotterdam, The Netherlands – a multifunctional complex on a former storage/ production building
2) Arena de Morro – Herzog&deMeuron project in Natal, Brazil – an educational and cultural centre within a large masterplan concept
Vietnamese bar streets
Fenix Food Factory in Rotterdam, The Netherlands
