To keep the habit of reflecting on my observations, my thoughts and new learnings through a blog section has been a goal since building this personal website. For the first blog post, I will be writing about two interesting facades of public spaces I have noticed while travelling to work around Hanoi.
The first video shows the side facade of the brand new Samsung store at Lotte West Lake in Hanoi with a full digital screen. One can argue that a department store is not a public space, however, in my opinion, spaces as such lie within a grey zone between public spaces and private properties. By definition, a department store is a private property, but it welcomes the public to visit for any purpose, whether shopping and eating, or simply just strolling around. Coming back to the screen, it actually showed several short videos in different styles, but I found the one recorded particularly soothing with its tranquil scenery of glittering water and lotus flower. While standing and watching the screen changing from one video to another, I had a thought about the use of digital screen to show more slow-paced and nature-inspired videos. Of course it is still "artificial", but I do think it would stand out from all the loud, in-the-face billboards that we see so often in the city environment. The position of the screen as a side facade that is conveniently at a main entrance of the department store makes it visible enough to invite passers-by to take a look. It can go unnoticed, yet it can be an opportunity for a breathing space that we may not even know we need. On the other hand, a digital screen is obviously a great tool for branding for a brand like Samsung, but it is also a question of whether they understand the societal impact of the tool that they hold.
On the other hand, the second video shows the front facade of the new building for the National Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital (Bệnh viện Phụ sản Trung ương) with a series of decorated windows. In this case, a building belonging to a national hospital is undeniably a public space. This is the space that I briefly passed by and was intrigued by the unique window decoration. It is not common to see glass windows being decorated in Vietnam in general (we usually see window grills as decoration) and the specific decoration style of stained-glass art in particular. Upon looking at the windows closely, I realized that the rows on the left showed abstract prints with written messages about the duties of healthcare workers, while the rows on the right were stained-glass inspired prints demonstrating the specialized line of work that the hospital provides. The decoration not only makes the front facade of the hospital more attractive but it also conveys a beautiful and meaningful narrative about the responsibility and dedication of healthcare workers. Such thoughtful design for a public property really surprised me and made me have more faith that my research is relevant with the context of Hanoi. In a city where most people travel by motorbikes and so exposed to all the direct sensory stimulus (e.g. noises, gases, surrounding visual elements,...), one thoughtful facade/ window design can spark a moment of interest and make that brief moment a safe space for commuters to destress.