Geberit View 2012

Portrait
↑ Fanfare opening of the Bitexco Financial Tower.
Bitexco Group of Companies
Established in 1985, the company group has its
roots in the textile industry. In 1997, it began
its meteoric rise to become the leading multiindustrial
company of Vietnam, with currently
over 1,100 employees and subsidiaries in Hanoi,
Ho Chi Minh City and Thai Binh. In addition to
the real-estate and structural development
division, the Bitexco Group is currently active
in the areas of electricity, infrastructure, mining
and foodstuffs. In addition to the Bitexco
Financial Tower, their most important projects
include the JW Marriott Hotel, the “Manor
Residences” and the “The Garden” shopping
center (all in Hanoi) as well as the residential
building “Nguyen Cu Trinh” in Ho Chi Minh City.
→ www.bitexco.com.vn
Erwin V. Ciar, Deputy Director Bitexco Projects
“It is not the highest building in
Vietnam, but definitely the most
impressive one.”
the good that develops from the
roots of Vietnamese culture
and tradition. The lotus flower
is a powerful symbol of this.
If you look at the design of the architecture
closely, you will see that it is a flower that
is just beginning to bloom.
Believe me, the shape of a lotus
flower in bloom would have by
far exceeded the spatial dimensions
of our plans (laughs).
However, your remark is right
on target. The Vietnamese
economy has been in the process
of opening up for some time
now. We at Bitexco want to go
forwards along this path.
To what extent was the realization of
this prestigious project a milestone for
the Bitexco Group?
With this building, we have
proven that we can measure up
to international standards.
All decisions, from the commissioning
of world-renowned
architects to the selection of
the best products, had this
objective in mind. It is therefore
no coincidence that we decided
to use Geberit products.
Is the motto of internationality behind
the usage of the BFT?
It is indeed. Office and commercial
spaces are oriented to-
wards an international clientele.
We are very pleased with the
response, with regard
to both quantity and quality.
The presence of companies
such as Adidas, Ernst & Young
or Samsung proves us right.
How do you regard the development
of the Vietnamese real estate market
outside the large urban centers?
Vietnam as a whole is making
a leap forwards. We at Bitexco
are not only active in locations
such as Ho Chi Minh City or
Hanoi, but equally in creating
master plans for residential
construction and infrastructure
projects in rural areas, for example
in Lao Cai.
Will Ho Chi Minh City still remain an
attraction for fans of unusual architecture?
I certainly hope so. We are currently
working on a further largescale
project in the middle of
the city in which the symbolism
is at least as important as that
of the Tower. “The ONE” consists
of two towers. Connected to each
other by a podium, they embody
the Vietnamese myth of two dragons.
←
→ In “District 1,” the central area of
Ho Chi Minh City, old meets (more and more)
new.
“Doi Moi”
The Vietnamese economy is growing at a disproportionate
rate of 7 percent annually on
average. This is due to a policy of liberalization
known as “Doi Moi” that has been implemented
by the Communist Party since 1986. This
focuses on the modernization of infrastructure.
14 View – Reference magazine 2012 15