Ho Chi Minh City, September 2026 – The Vietnam Steel Architecture Awards 2026 has officially announced and honored the winning works following an evaluation by the judging panel. Organized jointly by NS BlueScope Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture, this year’s awards were held under the theme “Building a Sustainable Future: Enduring Value in Design with Coated Steel”, attracting 32 entries across two categories: Professional and Student.
The entries presented a diverse picture of steel architecture in Vietnam, demonstrating that steel is not only capable of meeting the functional requirements of buildings, but can also contribute to their aesthetics and architectural expression.
Winning works at the Vietnam Steel Architecture Awards 2026
The following works were honored at the Vietnam Steel Architecture Awards 2026 across the Professional and Student categories.
In the Professional Category – Industrial, Pandora Factory in Binh Duong, designed by Archetype Vietnam, received First Prize. The project was highly regarded for integrating the functional requirements of a manufacturing facility with brand identity into its architectural expression, with steel serving both functional purposes and contributing to the building’s distinctive appearance.
Avatar Vietnam’s pre-engineered factory in Quang Ninh, designed by Kansai Vina, and the Rang Dong Textile Industrial Park Clean Water Treatment Plant in Ninh Binh, designed by SEICO, jointly received Second Prize. The APSC VSIP II-A Multi-Functional Warehouse in Binh Duong, designed by VEV; the Kim Long Motor Hue Manufacturing and Assembly Complex, designed by IDCo; and Song Hong Garment Factory 11 in Nam Dinh, designed by VNCC, received Third Prize.
In the Professional Category – Commercial, Can Gio Restaurant, designed by DE-SO Asia, received First Prize. The judging panel praised the project for drawing on its natural conditions and landscape to develop its architectural solution, while using steel to bring the design concept to life.
In the Student Category, Kizuna Service Factory by a student team from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture received First Prize; Tay Ninh FAB HUB by a student team from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education received Second Prize; while Green Node Factory by a student team from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture and the LEGO Toy Manufacturing Plant by a student team from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education jointly received Third Prize.
According to the judging panel, this year’s winning works demonstrated a range of different approaches to steel as a material. “The designs have become more refined and fluid, going beyond functional requirements to incorporate aesthetic considerations as well as elements related to people and the environment,” the panel noted.
Expanding connections with the next generation of architects
The 2026 awards marked the first time that the competition expanded to include a Student Category, with participants tasked with developing an industrial architecture project based on a real-world design brief.
The student projects demonstrated that industrial architecture is no longer viewed solely as a problem of production lines and functionality. Students are beginning to pay greater attention to architectural form, materials, colors, landscape, the environment and human experience.
A member of the judging panel noted that introducing industrial architecture into a competition for students could make the field more accessible to the next generation of architects. “Through this awards program, I believe students will take greater interest in industrial design and feel that it is no longer such a difficult field to approach when they begin designing,” the lecturer said.
According to a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture, this also represents an important value of collaboration between universities and businesses: bringing students closer to professional practice while bringing real-world experience back into the educational environment.
From a national award to a regional steel architecture forum
Beyond recognizing outstanding works, the Vietnam Steel Architecture Awards has been positioned by NS BlueScope Vietnam as a platform for the architectural community to exchange professional knowledge, share new approaches and broaden perspectives on the potential applications of steel in architecture.
“What we hope to achieve through the program goes beyond the awards themselves. More importantly, we want ideas to spread, encounters to grow into long-term connections, and new sources of inspiration to emerge for the architectural community,” said Dong Mai Lam, General Director of NS BlueScope Vietnam.
Following the awards ceremony in Vietnam, the 2026 program will continue at the regional level. Pandora Factory – Binh Duong and Can Gio Restaurant, the two First Prize winners in the Industrial and Commercial categories respectively, will represent Vietnam at the ASEAN Steel Architecture Awards 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, this November. They will bring perspectives and practices in steel architecture from Vietnam to the region’s professional forum.
© Vietnam Architecture Magazine
