Towards The Grand Final Of Vietnam Mosaic 2026: Introducing The Top 5 Outstanding Projects
After nearly two months of dynamic implementation, Vietnam Mosaic 2026 has reached its final stage, with the Grand Final scheduled to take place on February 10.
This year’s competition attracted 325 submissions from secondary school students both within and beyond the Vinschool system—a record-breaking figure, marking a 1.5-fold increase compared to the previous season. Participants came from a wide range of provinces and cities across Vietnam, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Tuyen Quang, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and An Giang.
From the very beginning of the season, students took part in the opening workshop “Introduction to Vietnamese Heritage: Foundational Knowledge and Research Orientation”, led by Architect Dinh Viet Phuong—a specialist in the research, digitalization, and 3D reconstruction of Vietnamese architectural heritage. Through an approach that views architecture as inseparable from history, culture, and social context, teams moved beyond formal description to demonstrate research, analytical thinking, and cultural storytelling through diverse creative formats such as architectural models, essays, videos, and visual artworks.
Ahead of the Grand Final, the Top 5 teams participated in a specialized academic workshop to review and refine their projects with guidance and feedback from experts. This final “polishing” stage serves as critical preparation before the teams enter the Grand Final, where they will deliver live presentations to articulate their concepts, research process, and academic–creative value, as well as engage in critical discussion with the Judging Panel. Final results will be assessed based on alignment with the competition theme, depth and accuracy of architectural and historical knowledge, creativity in presentation, and each team’s presentation skills and critical thinking.
Stay tuned for official updates and the final results of Vietnam Mosaic Season 2, which will be announced on the Vinschool fanpage in the coming days.
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Vietnam Mosaic is an annual competition designed as an academic–artistic platform where students not only study heritage, but also “live with it”—through observation, emotional connection, and contemporary interpretation. With the theme “From Form to Soul – When Architecture Becomes a Cultural Voice”, Season 2 encourages students to explore Vietnamese architecture through creative and scholarly perspectives, fostering heritage awareness, preservation values, and national pride among the younger generation.
Within the framework of the competition, students are encouraged to apply interdisciplinary knowledge from Vietnamese Studies, History, Geography, Fine Arts, Literature, and Technology to observe, analyze, and interpret architectural and cultural values within specific historical and social contexts. Personal viewpoints may be expressed through a wide range of creative formats, including short plays and stage performances; drawings, posters, and graphic design; videos, vlogs, and documentaries; essays; as well as architectural models and 3D designs.
Using eco-friendly materials such as foam and formex board, the project takes the image of flowing currents as its central design concept. By blending modern architectural language with traditional cultural symbols including the lotus flower, bamboo groves, and water surfaces, the model conveys a message of preserving and carrying forward Vietnam’s cultural identity to younger generations.
Approaching Chùa Cầu as a “cultural voice” shaped by the intersection of Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese influences, the essay highlights how architecture preserves historical memory, reflects contemporary identity, and opens up meaningful perspectives on heritage conservation in the context of global integration.
Inspired by one of Ho Chi Minh City’s iconic architectural landmarks with over 120 years of history, the artwork captures the Opera House’s dignified neoclassical beauty and historical depth. Through humble colored-pencil materials and warm, nostalgic tones, the piece conveys a message of cherishing heritage as a living and enduring cultural source.
Choosing bamboo as the core architectural material, the video tells the story of Vietnamese heritage through evocative visuals and emotive storytelling. The work highlights the harmony between tradition and modernity while delivering a message of heritage preservation aligned with sustainable development and national cultural identity.
Recreating a segment of the ancient Cham Pa sanctuary through imagination and personal experience, the model centers on the Linga symbol placed at the heart of the temple. The project evokes the sacred architectural beauty, the life-generating aspirations embedded in the heritage, and a shared desire to preserve and revive the original values of My Son Sanctuary for future generations.
