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Dragon Sea is a mixed-use, seaside cosmopolitan resort destination located in the coastal city of Vung Tau, Vietnam. Vung Tau is roughly a 2-hour drive, or one hour and 20 minutes by boat, from the populous Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). It will also be roughly 30 miles from the up-coming Long Thanh International Airport, which is slated to replace the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC. The project sits on 45 hectare (approximately 111 acres) of ocean-front land, on 51C National Road, which is the main highway connecting HCMC to Vung Tau. Situated near one end of the famous 7 km "Back Beach", the site contains roughly 450 meters of beach and more than 800 meters of street frontage. Vung Tau's beaches are the closest beaches to the 8-million-plus-residents of HCMC.

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PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS (based on master conceptual plan)

• 45 hectares of ocean-front land with a total of 15 high-rise towers                                                    (click to enlarge)

• 10,000 m2 to 20,000 m2 Convention Center

• 20,000 m2 of office space

• 60,000 m2 of retail and entertainment

• 5-hectare outdoor grand plaza with an amphitheater having a 15,000 capacity audience

• 2,500 rooms offered by 3- to 5-star hotels, a business hotel, condo-hotels, lofts, serviced apartments, apartments and villas

• Luxury spa with 11 cabanas above a man-made lake

• numerous 3- to 5-star restaurants and food court areas

• numerous night clubs, bars, lounges, cafes and a night market

• 2 infinity pools and private pools for each high-rise tower

• Sports facility with 6 tennis courts and a basketball court

• 50-year land lease with ability to extend

• Located on a main thoroughfare connecting HCMC to Vung Tau, and is a 5-minute drive into downtown Vung Tau

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DESIGN CONCEPT

The dragon is a powerful symbol that represents strength and prosperity. It is specifically significant to Vung Tau, as well as this definitive new cosmopolitan resort destination.

(click to enlarge)

“Dragon Sea” is the name for this ocean-front 45-hectares development that includes a retail mall, restaurants and entertainment venues, spa facilities, a convention & exhibition center, a business hotel, luxury condominiums, ocean-front villas, and a 5-stars resort hotel. “Dragon Sea” will become a landmark development.

The dragon is the perfect shape to organize and unify all the different components that make up this development. Its long and winding body allows for the creation of grand public plazas as well as intimate private pools and gardens, all the while providing interior spaces that are interesting, dynamic and extremely flexible to different uses. “Dragon Sea” will make a profound mark on the local urban landscape. 

This mixed-use development will provide “something for everyone”, elevating the quality-of-life level to new heights.

THE MASTER PLAN

(Please click here for the Vietnamese Version of the Master Plan)

The dragon chasing its pearl across the site on its way out to sea will be the poetic story that drives the design concept for this master plan.

At the front of the site facing the main road, the winding body of the dragon will be the “face” of the project. This is the retail mall component that will have exceptional street visibility. The façade of this “face” can be designed using a number of architectural materials that represent the skin of the dragon. For example, a curtain wall can be created with triangulated pieces of glass and steel that represent scales.

The retail mall can be anchored on one side by a multi-level hypermarket and another by a world-class convention center and business hotel. The retail component itself is a two stories structure that features open spaces on the ground floor and spacious, sky-lighted atrium on the interior. The second floor retail also links the business hotel and convention center/conference hall beyond. Parking for shoppers is via a parking structure that is attached to the “dragon” on the west side – this is the entry point that leads to the second level parking that spans the entire middle portion of the dragon.

Entering the site and passing the front plaza, visitors traveling on the entry drive will pass under the retail mall into the central plaza. Here, the dragon’s body turns back on itself forming a u-shaped plaza that is ideal for unique shops, restaurants with outdoor seating, a movie theater, and a large “amphitheatre” area for outdoor performances and shows. At the center of this central plaza, water jets shoot to musical tunes to entertain the children and cool off the adults. The center stage will have a backdrop that is formed by the podium of the 4-stars hotel. The podium houses the hotel lobby, services, and parking, while amenities and restaurant are on the deck. The 4-stars hotel is a 10-12 stories building that exemplify the international jet-setter lifestyle.

Looking down into the central plaza, condominium towers take on various heights and organic forms to represent the dragon’s back. Access to the condominium towers is via a secondary road that will arrive at each individual group of condominiums. Each group of condominiums will feature its own arrival courtyard, lobby and amenities as well as garden and swimming pool. Beyond the central plaza, the entry drive continues toward the ocean and ascends as it reaches the head of the dragon – the 5-stars resort hotel. The arrival courtyard of the resort hotel has a commanding and spectacular view of the beach and ocean beyond. The hotel lobby is an expansive open space that overlooks a garden, fronting the ocean. At this level is the hotel’s specialty restaurant which features uninterrupted views of the beach, coastline, and majestic ocean. From this level, the hotel drops three stories onto the beach below. Each of these hotel floors features all ocean front suites and spacious lanais. If the resort hotel is the dragon’s head, its swimming pool is the dragon’s pearl. The swimming pool is a multi-tiered water feature / pool that literally steps into the beach and ocean.

To the west of the resort hotel is the Spa, with its outdoor massage cabanas nestled in a lustrous tropical landscaped garden. Further west, the Dragon Pearl Villas form the shape of a pearl necklace with its 46 villa units. The villas are one and two-story units and are strategically placed to allow for ocean views to all ocean facing units. The natural contours of the site also help position the back villas higher to overlook those that are in front or closer to the beach. The villa clubhouse, located near the beach, features a swimming pool with an infinity edge that “disappears” into the horizon line of the ocean. Near the ocean, the tropical garden filters into the sand creating a private and secured beach for the residences of the villas and resort hotel.

Dragon Sea will be the place where people can go to celebrate life. It can be a destination for conventions or business meetings. It can be a place to call home, or to spend a weekend or a vacation. It’s a great place to live, work, shop and play …or more simply …just a great place to be!

Please click below to view a more detailed description of:

Dragon Sea - A Mixed-Use, Seaside Cosmopolitan Resort Destination

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