The Vietnam Military History Museum, designed by Nikken Sekkei, won the Grand Prix at the Vietnam National Architecture Awards.

The “Vietnam Military History Museum,” designed by Nikken Sekkei, has been awarded the Grand Prix (Special Prize) at the 16th Vietnam National Architecture Awards (2024–2025).This marks only the second project to be selected for the Grand Prix since the award’s inception. A total of 239 entries were submitted across seven categories this year, and project members led by our company’s Executive, Design Fellow Hiroshi Miyagawa attended the awards ceremony held on May 20 at the Hanoi Opera House in Vietnam.

The Military History Museum was created to celebrate Vietnam's history of striving for independence and freedom, and to address the social need for enhanced cultural facilities. The design concept embodies the "land, sea, and air" that symbolize the country, while simultaneously representing the presence of all three branches of the military. Visitors cross a 3,000 square meter water feature plaza and ascend a green hill, leading them to a museum that symbolizes the nation's development and future. Standing in the center of a 38.6-hectare site, this building features a large canopy that provides pleasant shade, seamlessly connecting the interior and exterior and creating a semi-outdoor space that harmonizes with the landscape. Furthermore, a colonnade of 25-meter-high columns traces a 300-meter curve along the green hill, creating a sense of continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces. The columns, tilted outward at 25 degrees, evoke people raising their arms in celebration of the nation's development, while the arched curves are reminiscent of the legendary, mystical bow, elevating military symbolism into "architecture of peace."

Client: Vietnamese Ministry of Defense
Designer: Nikken Sekkei Ltd.
Joint design: DCCD (architectural design), CDC (structural and mechanical engineering)

Established in 1993, this award is a competition jointly held every two years by the Vietnam Architects Association, the Ministry of Construction, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Its purpose is to honor architects who have developed modern architectural designs related to Vietnam's cultural identity.