Nguyễn Hà aspires to create an architecture that leads people to serenity, allowing ritual and tradition to enter into modern life. 

The founder of ARB Architects Vietnam, Hà presents the Đạo Mẫu Museum & Temple, a collaboration with acclaimed folk artist Xuân Hin which led to a poetic interpretation of local material histories on an orchard plot outside Hanoi. The project involved creating a space for exhibiting artworks and artefacts related to the Mother Goddess, a Vietnamese folk belief. “Practicing this belief is a way for Vietnamese people to express gratitude to their past, traditions, and ancestors,” Hà said.

Through stacking traditional red clay tiles into towering contemporary forms, the temple bears witness to the urbanization of rural landscapes in Vietnam, while standing to preserve a threatened cultural heritage. “The idea of using roof tiles as the project's main material came from memories and nostalgia of times when I went to temples with my mother,” said Hà.