Once a French colonial town and known as the pearl of Southeast Asia, now the biggest city in Vietnam and the country's financial centre, Saigon aka Ho Chi Minh City has been transforming into a megalopolis - and with its population already beyond 10 million it is growing fast. Until now the old cityscape has already been altered by a number of skyscrapers. But what is to be expected, when a metropolis is changing fast and profoundly like this? Ten years ago I visited Saigon for the first time. Small stores and street kitchens edged the streets emitting smoke and steam and exotic food smells. Yet, even back then high rise buildings were starting to be erected along the main roads. Since then I have been visiting Saigon documenting its transformation.
The people's traditional way of life, worshiping the bonds of the family, is making way for individual aspirations after wealth and consumption. Everywhere street kitchens are being torn down in order to erect modern high rises where banks and companies are doing their business amidst a growing middle class. Saigon is densifiying. At the same time many inhabitants are forced to move to the city's fringes where real estate prices are lower. New quarters are rapidly and organically growing there, often loosely regulated by the city authorities. Increasing traffic is requiring fast solutions, often at the cost of tearing down old structures. But are the generic high rises that follow nothing but the pulse of commercial investment really the best building practice for a unique city like this?
Robert Herrmann is an architectural photographer based out of Berlin, Germany. Trained as an architect Robert evolved into working as a photographer and visual artist. Balancing architectural comprehension with aesthetic interpretation he creates architectural and documentary images for numerous clients across the building industry.