MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING MINISTRY OF CONSTRUCTION UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE HO CHI MINH ON NGOC YEN NHI TRANSFORMATION OF WESTERN ARCHITECTURAL FORMS IN SOME OFFICE BUILDINGS IN INDOCHINA F[.]
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING MINISTRY OF CONSTRUCTION UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE HO CHI MINH - ON NGOC YEN NHI TRANSFORMATION OF WESTERN ARCHITECTURAL FORMS IN SOME OFFICE BUILDINGS IN INDOCHINA Field of study: ARCHITECTURE Code : 9.58.01.01 THE DISSERTATION SUMMARY IN ARCHITECTURE Ho Chi Minh City - năm 2023 The dissertation is accomplished at: THE UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE HCMC The academic supervisor: ASSOCIATE PROP., DR., ARCH LE VAN THUONG DR., ARCH TRUONG THANH HAI The reviewer: The reviewer 1: PROP., DR., ARCH DOAN MINH KHOI The reviewer 2: ASSOCIATE PROP., DR., ARCH NGUYEN THI HANH NGUYEN The reviewer 3: ASSOCIATE PROP., DR., ARCH NGO LE MINH This dissertation was defensed at University Dissertation Asssessement Committee organized at The University of Architecture HCMC At ……… o’clock, dated 2022 This dissertation could be found at: GENERAL LIBRARY OF HCMC LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE HCMC TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 0.1 Problem Statement 0.2 Specific research objectives 0.3 Research objects and scope 0.4 Research method 0.5 Research content and process 0.6 Scientific significance and contributions of the research 0.7 Thesis structure CONTENT CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF TRADITIONAL AND FRENCH COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED RESEARCH ISSUES 1.1 TERMINOLOGY AND SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS RELATED TO THE RESEARCH TOPIC 1.2 OVERVIEW OF WESTERN CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE AND FRENCH CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE 1.2.1 Western Classical Architecture 1.2.2 The influence of natural conditions on French architecture and common solutions 1.2.3 French Classical Architecture 1.2.4 Architectural styles in France during the Modern period 1.3 CULTURE AND INDIGENOUS ARCHITECTURE IN THREE INDOCHINA COUNTRIES 1.4 FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICE BUILDING ARCHITECTURE DURING THE FRENCH COLONIAL PERIOD IN THREE INDOCHINESE COUNTRIES 1.4.1 The approach of Western architecture through the path of colonial architecture in the three Indochinese countries 1.4.2 Primary Architectural Styles of Office buildings during the French Colonial Period in the Three Indochinese Countries 1.4.3 Characteristics of Public Building Architecture during the French Colonial Period in the Three Indochinese Countries 1.4.3.1 Changes in the French's approach towards indigenous culture in the three Indochinese countries in architectural works 1.4.3.2 Adaptation to Natural Conditions in the office Building Architecture Built by the French in the Three Indochinese Countries 1.4.3.3 Public Building Architecture Built by Vietnamese during the French Colonial Period 1.5 OVERVIEW OF RELATED RESEARCH WORKS 1.6 RESEARCH ISSUES RAISED IN THE DISSERTATION CHAPTER 2: SCIENTIFIC BASIS 2.1 HISTORICAL BASIS 2.1.1 Classical principles affecting the facade of Western classical architecture 2.1.2 THE COMPOSITION OF THE FACADE OF WESTERN CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE 10 2.2 LEGAL BASIS 10 2.3 THEORETICAL BASIS 10 2.4 FACTORS AFFECTING THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS FROM TRADITIONAL TO COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE IN OFFICE BUILDINGS IN THE WEST 11 2.4.1 Natural Features - Geographical conditions in the West 11 2.4.2 The development of public office spaces in the West under the guidance of urban culture during the colonial period 12 2.4.3 Characteristics of office architecture during the colonial period in the three Western countries 12 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH RESULTS 13 3.1 DEVELOPMENT OF THE CRITERIA SYSTEM TO ASSESS THE TRANSFORMATION OF CLASSICAL WESTERN ARCHITECTURAL FORMS IN SOME OFFICE BUILDINGS IN INDOCHINA 13 3.1.1 Perspective on developing the evaluation criteria system 13 3.1.2 Criteria for assessing the transformation from classical architecture to modern architecture in Office buildings in Indochina 13 3.2 DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCORING SCALE FOR THE CRITERIA SYSTEM ASSESSING THE TRANSFORMATION OF CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE IN SOME OFFICE BUILDINGS IN INDOCHINA 14 3.2.1 Perspective on developing a scoring scale for the evaluation criteria system 14 3.2.2 Scoring scale for criteria groups 14 3.2.3 Determining the Level of Form Variation in Architectural Technical Works in Office buildings in Indochina Based on the Evaluation System 15 3.3 TRANSFORMATIONS OF BEAUX-ARTS ARCHITECTURE FORM IN SOME OFFICE BUILDINGS IN THREE COUNTRIES OF INDOCHINA 16 3.3.1 Objective evaluation of Office buildings during the French colonial period in three countries of indochina 16 3.3.2 The transformation laws of Western architecture in Office buildings based on inheritance principles and adaptation to local climate 17 3.3.2.1 Space 17 3.3.2.2 Connection with nature 18 3.3.2.3 Publicity 18 3.3.2.4 Landscape in architectural construction 18 CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH RESULTS 19 4.1 DISCUSSION ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR OFFICE BUILDINGS DURING THE FRENCH COLONIAL PERIOD IN INDOCHINA 19 4.2 DISCUSSION ON THE LAWS OF TRANSFORMING FEATURES OF WESTERN ARCHITECTURE IN OFFICE BUILDINGS IN INDOCHINA IN THE THESIS 20 4.3 UTILIZING RESEARCH FINDINGS TO DISCUSS THE INHERITANCE OF DISTINCT ARCHITECTURAL VALUES IN OFFICE BUILDINGS DURING THE FRENCH COLONIAL PERIOD IN INDOCHINA THROUGH RENOVATION AND NEW CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS 21 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 22 INTRODUCTION 0.1 Problem Statement Architectural forms emerging during the colonial period in the Indochina are often described as being a "fusion" of Eastern and Western cultures However, this term remains constrained in elucidating the meanings and unifying connections in various architectural styles This thesis, based on existing studies in the field of Eastern Colonial Architecture, perceives "fusion" not merely as a concept of "combination", but as an assembly of the transformative process from Traditional Architectureto Eastern Colonial Architecture This includes significant features that establish the distinctive visage of Eastern Colonial Architecture in the East, such as architectural style, art, engineering, and adaptation to natural conditions This study aims to supplement theoretical foundations about the essence of Eastern Colonial Architecture by exploring the transformative process of Traditional Architecture in several Office buildings in the Indochina Furthermore, the thesis builds bases for shedding light on some combined characteristics of Eastern and Western cultures in Eastern Colonial Architecture This will provide clearer insights into the transformations of Traditional Architecture when e xisting in the Eastern region at various levels, and accurately assess the East-West fusion in architecture Simultaneously, it seeks to identify general laws in the process of Traditional Architecture transformation when penetrating the Indochina in several Office buildings during the colonial era 0.2 Specific research objectives: (1) Overview of the origins of French colonial architecture in Indochina, an overview of manifestations, formal characteristics, and distinctive architectural values achieved by office architecture; (2) Compare, make judgments, and objectively evaluate the transformation of Western architecture (WA) in several colonial-era offices in Indochinese countries according to a comprehensive rating system; (3) Laws in the transformation process of WA into colonial architecture in office architecture 0.3 Research objects and scope: (1) Research objects: The existing Office buildings from the French colonial era in Indochina and factors influencing the transformation of WA into colonial architecture (2) Research scope: (a) In the major cities of three Indochinese countries: Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia; (b) During the period of French invasion 0.4 Research method: Comparative reference, scientific observation, historical-logical, systematic analysis-synthesis, field survey 0.5 Research content and process: (1) Step 1: With the aim of "Supplementing a part of the theoretical basis on the nature of colonial architecture through the exploration of the transformation process of characteristics of WA into colonial architecture in Indochina", the thesis has used the historical-logical method and the analysis - synthesis - systematization method to research an overview of the formation and development process of WA, the origin of French architecture, and the development context of office architecture through periods in Indochina Expected research result: Gain a general view of the origins of French colonial architecture and the approach to Indochina of WA through the path of colonial architecture (2) Step 2: From the research results of step 1, aiming to have a more general view of colonial-era office architecture in Indochina, the thesis continues to use the analysis - synthesis - systematization method, historical - logical method to understand the features of colonial architecture during the French colonial period in three Indochinese countries From these research results, the thesis summarizes the unique values of colonial architecture on the platform of classic HL-LM architecture Expected research result: Understand the origins, theoretical basis, design characteristics, and unique architectural values achieved by the office architecture during the French colonial period in Indochinese countries (3) Step 3: The analysis - synthesis - systematization method will be used at this step to understand the research works that have the nature of summarizing and inheriting each other on issues related to the formation and development of colonial architecture in Indochina Step will identify the contributions and outstanding issues in these studies From there, pose research issues in the thesis Expected research result: Identify the research issues that need to be solved in the thesis (4) Step 4: The thesis will employ an analytical - synthetic - systematic method to establish a scientific basis for implementing specific research content Additionally, the field survey method and scientific observation will be employed at this step, in combination with the comparative method From the survey results of Office buildings in Southeast Asia, the thesis will process the information collected by performing statistics, classification, and selection of office building types during the French colonial period in Southeast Asia that represent each architectural style and historical progression for research By analyzing and synthesizing the distinctive features of office architecture in Southeast Asia during the French colonial period and the manifestations of architecture in response to local conditions of the colonized countries, the thesis continues to compare the Office buildings among three Southeast Asian countries with the origins of these manifestations in classic Greek and Roman architecture Expected research results: Establish legal, theoretical, and historical bases, and factors influencing the morphological transformation from the Greek-Roman classic architecture to the French colonial architecture in Office buildings in Southeast Asia Statistically represent Office buildings in Southeast Asia and identify factors influencing the morphological transformation of the Greek-Roman classic architecture in some Office buildings in Southeast Asia (5) Step 5: Based on the theoretical and historical scientific basis in step 4, the thesis applies theoretical principles in the transformation of the distinctive values of Greek-Roman classic architecture to French colonial architecture in colonial Office buildings in Southeast Asia to construct an 11 new architectural styles in the West Lessons about recognizing cultural differences; efforts to preserve local traditions through architectural and urban design; and paving the way for architects to participate in exploring and creating new architectural styles in the West All left distinct impressions of the presence of a Western city in the cities of the West that were once colonies In the symbiosis theory of Kisho Kurokawa in the modern era, symbiotic architecture essentially represents the following factors: symbiosis between East-West cultures, past-present, inside-outside space Kurokawa borrowed the term "symbiosis" to clarify the humanitarian nature of architecture Humanity in architecture, according to him, is expressed through respect for what exists and harmonization with contradictions seeking to develop parallel to existing things Lê Thanh Sơn's research delves into the symbiosis between traditional and modern characteristics in Vietnamese architecture and also discusses the symbiosis in culture between traditional and Vietnamese architecture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mainly revolving around Vietnam The studies on cultural symbiosis of Kisho Kurokawa and Lê Thanh Sơn are good guidelines for the thesis to broaden the research direction on cultural symbiosis in architecture in Laos and Cambodia, as well as in Vietnam during the French colonial period 2.4 FACTORS AFFECTING THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS FROM TRADITIONAL TO COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE IN OFFICE BUILDINGS IN THE WEST 2.4.1 Natural Features - Geographical conditions in the West With diverse yet relatively similar geographical characteristics across the Western territories, it is the foundation for the richness of the various office buildings during the French colonial period in the West The differences in terrain and climate between the three Western countries and France forced the French to innovate, exploring appropriate solutions 12 that are distinctive, contributing to the unique architectural face of the office buildings in the West 2.4.2 The development of public office spaces in the West under the guidance of urban culture during the colonial period The transformation of architectural forms in office buildings in the West primarily originated from the formation of public office spaces, under the guidance of "urban culture" - a concept that was still unfamiliar to Western society at that time but was very familiar in Western societies The historical, cultural, social, and political context greatly influenced the process of transforming the traditional architectural form into colonial architecture in the West 2.4.3 Characteristics of office architecture during the colonial period in the three Western countries The characteristics that make up the features of office architecture during the colonial period in the three Western countries were mostly built by the French based on two main aspects First is the architectural and technical solutions proposed by the French based on the adaptation to the natural geographical conditions in the West, combined with Western and indigenous construction techniques and materials, as outlined in section 3.1.1 Secondly, the use of traditional decorative themes in office architecture in the West during the colonial period The West is a region with a high diversity of cultures These two aspects have contributed to creating a distinctive feature in the office buildings in the three Western countries 13 CHAPTER RESEARCH RESULTS 3.1 DEVELOPMENT OF THE CRITERIA SYSTEM TO ASSESS THE TRANSFORMATION OF CLASSICAL WESTERN ARCHITECTURAL FORMS IN SOME OFFICE BUILDINGS IN INDOCHINA 3.1.1 Perspective on developing the evaluation criteria system The criteria system to assess the transformation of classical architectural forms in Office buildings in Indochina is based on references from acknowledged evaluation systems for classical architecture in prestigious architectural research forums worldwide This evaluation system for architectural form transformation does not merely aggregate component criteria but also fully assesses the architectural values exhibited by the construction To construct each component criterion for each criterion group as objectively as possible, the thesis needs to survey and concurrently comment on the Office buildings in Indochina according to each criterion group 3.1.2 Criteria for assessing the transformation from classical architecture to modern architecture in Office buildings in Indochina Based on the above perspective on developing the evaluation criteria system, the thesis will introduce a criteria system that includes three groups: (1) criteria group assessing adherence to the principles of Western classical architecture in Office buildings in Indochina; (2) criteria group assessing the inheritance and transformation of decorative features of classical architecture in Office buildings in Indochina; (3) criteria group assessing based on adaptability to the local climate environment Therefore, after using historical and theoretical foundations to form a system of three criterion groups as stated, and concurrently surveying and commenting on the Office buildings in Indochina according to each criterion group, we have been able to establish a system of criteria in the most objective manner However, this evaluation criteria system will be more 14 comprehensive when combined with a scoring scale to provide the most accurate assessment when applying this evaluation system to a specific office building in Indochina 3.2 DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCORING SCALE FOR THE CRITERIA SYSTEM ASSESSING THE TRANSFORMATION OF CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE IN SOME OFFICE BUILDINGS IN INDOCHINA 3.2.1 Perspective on developing a scoring scale for the evaluation criteria system The proposed scoring scale must ensure objectivity, based on the survey of Office buildings in Indochina from aspects such as the degree of compliance with the timeless principles of Western classical architecture and languages in facade forms, the degree of expression of traditional decorative motifs combined with Western classical architecture decorative details, and the ability to adapt to the climatic conditions of Office buildings in Indochina These have been clearly surveyed and analyzed during the criteria construction in section 3.1 Furthermore, the scoring scale for this evaluation criteria system is also built based on consultation with leading experts in the field of classical architecture research 3.2.2 Scoring scale for criteria groups For the first and second criterion groups, the scoring scale will depend on the level of similarity and importance of the criteria in the group to the office building, combined with the expert method and the quantitative method using a unidirectional Likert scale with levels, the highest being and the lowest 1, corresponding to the degree of transformation of classical architecture from little to much in Office buildings in Indochina according to each evaluation criterion The scoring scale in the third criterion group will depend on the degree of form transformation of the office building compared to classical architecture to adapt to the climatic conditions in Indochina The scoring scale of this criterion group 15 has a maximum of and a minimum of 1, corresponding to the degree of transformation to adapt to the climatic conditions of classical architecture from much to little 3.2.3 Determining the Level of Form Variation in Architectural Technical Works in Office buildings in Indochina Based on the Evaluation System For the first and second group of criteria, if the criteria manifested on the architectural facade of an office building in Indochina are more similar to classic principles and features commonly found in architectural technical works (the higher the percentage of the average score compared to the total score of the criteria group), it means that there is less form variation in those works Conversely, if the office building exhibits criteria on its facade that significantly diverge from an architectural technical work, or even does not appear at all (the lower the percentage of the average score compared to the total), it means that there is more substantial form variation in that office building As for the third group of criteria, which is related to the form variation of the office building's architecture to adapt to the climate conditions in Indochina, form variation for adaptation is inevitable According to a survey of some Office buildings in Indochina during the same period, the score scale in this criteria group is relatively uniform (except for Office buildings that were copied from the colonial era, as the French initially ignored this aspect) Therefore, in this third group of criteria, the higher the percentage of the average score compared to the total score of the criteria group, the clearer the form variation in architectural technical works is 16 In each group of evaluation criteria, this thesis proposes the level of form variation in architectural technical works in some Office buildings according to each group of criteria as follows: For the first and second groups of criteria: Average Score Percentage vs Total Score Level of Variation 0%-20% Very substantial 21%-40% Quite substantial 41%-60% Moderate 61%-80% Slight 81%-100% Very slight For the third group of criteria: Average Score Percentage vs Total Score Level of Variation 0%-20% Very slight 21%-40% Slight 41%-60% Moderate 61%-80% Quite substantial 81%-100% Very substantial 3.3 TRANSFORMATIONS OF BEAUX-ARTS ARCHITECTURE FORM IN SOME OFFICE BUILDINGS IN THREE COUNTRIES OF INDOCHINA 3.3.1 Objective evaluation of office buildings during the French colonial period in three countries of Indochina Applying the evaluation system of the transformations of WA form in Office buildings in Indochina, we can determine the degree of transformation of 17 OFFICE BUILDINGS in each country of Indochina Furthermore, the methodology of using a system of criteria to evaluate each building broadens the scope of evaluation by selecting typical building samples to compare the transformations of WA form in office buildings among the three countries of Indochina The processed information shows that: for the first group of criteria, the principles of Western classical architecture in the office buildings in Indochina have undergone diverse transformations at levels from very slight to very substantial For the second group of criteria, the decorative motifs of WA have undergone substantial changes to align with the local culture of the three countries of Indochina Specifically, for the third group of criteria, to adapt to the climatic conditions, WA has undergone incredibly significant changes, particularly in the buildings during the transitional period of East Indies architectural style 3.3.2 The transformation laws of WA in office buildings based on inheritance principles and adaptation to local climate 3.3.2.1 Space In Western classical buildings, the main spaces are designed for major rituals (churches, temples, ) and emphasize the differences between social classes This became a distinctive feature of Western classical architecture, henceforth, the clear distinction between primary and secondary (defined) spaces is indispensable when constructing any Western building This can easily be found when Beaux-Arts design methods were applied in East Indies office buildings One of these methods is the clear functional segregation by architectural elements But at a deeper level, this means the separation between social classes In contrast, traditional architecture in the three countries of Indochina primarily separates architectural functions based on spiritual and social status factors Later, although functional segregation still existed, in office buildings in Indochina, this segregation no longer relied on social or spiritual grounds, but on 18 primary or secondary spatial factors and logically arranged through a symmetrical axis In addition, French architects were particularly concerned with the connection between these functional spaces, thus, they incorporated solutions using connecting indoor and outdoor spaces 3.3.2.2 Connection with nature For office buildings in Indochina, the French continued to create connections with the environment and the surrounding landscape as in Europe But in the initial period, due to the criteria of showcasing power and unfamiliarity with the abrupt shift from temperate to tropical climates, this spirit of connection with nature seemed inappropriate Only after studying the local climate and applying proper architectural and technical solutions, did office buildings in Indochina truly undergo positive transformations, becoming more harmonious with nature 3.3.2.3 Publicity Publicity was also more strongly emphasized in office buildings in Indochina, a marked difference compared to the period of Western classical architecture Furthermore, to increase the publicity of office buildings, to better integrate with the life of the local people, the French ingeniously incorporated traditional East Indies decorative elements, combined with timeless principles of classical architecture and the language in the facade of WA, creating office buildings that are authoritative, magnificent yet still close to the local environment 3.3.2.4 Landscape in architectural construction When constructing office buildings in Indochina, due to the climate here no longer fitting with the concept of the landscape being purely decorative in WA Therefore, a change was needed The French studied selectively and used landscape planning solutions to suit the hot and humid conditions in Indochina, for example: water bodies to create steam to cool the building in the hot dry season, tall trees with large canopies to provide shade and reduce the amount of solar radiation, green grass cover to reduce the heat of the ground 19 CHAPTER DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH RESULTS 4.1 DISCUSSION ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR OFFICE BUILDINGS DURING THE FRENCH COLONIAL PERIOD IN INDOCHINA The thesis has synthesized the quantity, classified the features, locations, and architectural styles of office buildings during the French colonial period in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia The thesis has performed steps of comparison and referencing of the architectural features of office buildings in Indochina and those in the West to clearly see the characteristics and differences of colonial-era office architecture in major cities affected by the French in the three countries of Indochina The thesis has established a relatively complete evaluation system to evaluate the transformation of WA form in office buildings in Indochina Furthermore, another feature of this evaluation system is that it can be applied to other types of buildings in Indochina during the French colonial period, or widely applied to evaluate and compare the degree of transformation of WA form among Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia Through the construction of the evaluation system, from the process of reviewing and comparing architectural features appearing in the process of transforming the WA form in some office buildings in Indochina, the thesis has deduced some laws, which the researcher believes, while found in office buildings in Indochina, they could still apply to other types of buildings of the same period, moreover, these laws may continue in the modern era Besides, through this evaluation system, the thesis also simultaneously proves the mutual influences of WA and the traditional architecture of the three East Indies countries, based on the basis of comparing contemporaneous and historical 20 architectural manifestations in the type of office buildings during the colonial period 4.2 DISCUSSION ON THE LAWS OF TRANSFORMING FEATURES OF WA IN OFFICE BUILDINGS IN INDOCHINA IN THE THESIS The spatial element in office buildings in Indochina at this time is no longer divided according to class or spirituality like traditional buildings but is divided according to primary and secondary factors, arranged along a symmetrical axis To create a connection between these main and secondary spaces, the French particularly paid attention to creating connecting spaces such as corridors, lobbies This not only appears in office buildings but also in other types of buildings The French, not being constrained by traditional class and spirituality factors in space arrangement, have created diversity in floor designs, freely creating space, from which space contributed to the form of blocks and facades This element of connecting main and secondary space is still being borrowed and inherited in later works in the modern period but innovated at a higher level, for example, the connection between indoor and outdoor space is replaced by glass sections, or dividing the interior space with louvers or rows of pots (open space) Adapting to the local climate through architectural and technical solutions is a widely researched and discussed issue in the architectural field In the present era, the perspective on the relationship with nature has somewhat changed due to industrialization This issue has also led to many debates, and then new solutions are proposed, revolving around issues of replacing artificial architectural solutions with green architecture, sustainable architecture, environmentally friendly materials but sometimes designers return to exploit the features of the architecture of French colonial buildings, because the solutions that the French proposed when constructing new colonial buildings to 21 adapt to the local climate in Indochina are the best and least energy-consuming solutions The issue of publicization is a new concept for the indigenous people in Indochina at that time To integrate better with the community, the French used local decorative elements on office buildings to be closer to the people This is a major lesson learned from the French and this has hardly changed until the modern era Of course, there will be buildings combining East-West in a moderate manner, but there are also buildings with many traditional decorative details "overdone" However, in the end, it is worth considering because these are all efforts to bring the buildings closer to the publicization The landscape is an extremely interesting factor in office architecture in Indochina The use of greenery to create landscapes and cool the building is a big lesson that today's architects learn from French architects during the colonial period when they want to incorporate the "green architecture" element into the building 4.3 UTILIZING RESEARCH FINDINGS TO DISCUSS THE INHERITANCE OF DISTINCT ARCHITECTURAL VALUES IN OFFICE BUILDINGS DURING THE FRENCH COLONIAL PERIOD IN INDOCHINA THROUGH RENOVATION AND NEW CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS Historical monuments from the French colonial period in Indochina, over time, invariably exhibit signs of deterioration, thus necessitating the careful consideration of preservation, renovation, and restoration measures However, due to various reasons, these conservation and repair measures have undeniably impacted the authentic value of these structures The application of a system matrix, comprising objective criteria from the thesis, for evaluation and comparison might reveal several aspects for consideration Consequently, to effectively preserve, renovate, and restore a valuable architectural structure, a 22 specific legal corridor is imperative, and this evaluation system could be regarded as a part of the scientific basis for subsequent studies on this legal corridor New constructions that emulate classical architectural styles in current cities are often labeled as pastiche However, if architects truly delve into the design principles of Classical architecture and French architectural-engineering solutions to help buildings adapt to colonial climates, based on similar criteria of the system evaluating the transformation of architectural and physical features in office buildings in Indochina, they might create intriguing constructions that uphold the spirit of Classical and Beaux-Arts architecture while exhibiting unique innovative aspects within the framework of Classical and Beaux-Arts architectural principles CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSIONS The transformation of architectural and physical form in some office buildings in Indochina is demonstrated through the relationship between two groups of subjects: Existing and prominent office buildings from the French colonial period in Indochina embody cultural and national characteristics, diversity in artistry, technique, context, location, and era These characteristics reflect the continuity of history through the transformation of WA in the colonial context with cultural interaction and assimilation Influential factors impacting the transformation of WA into colonial architectural transformation in Indochina are related to climate, culture, and society These factors directly affect the transformation process of WA in office buildings in Indochina, manifesting in changes in architectural forms such as classical architectural principles, decorative 23 motifs, and architectural and technical solutions adaptive to the environment The transformation of WA into KTTĐ in office buildings in Indochina not only distinctly represents the developmental trajectory of WA but also clearly indicates the evolution of WA in diverse environments The thesis supplements a portion of the theoretical basis concerning the essence of KTTĐ through the exploration of the transformation process of WA characteristics in some office buildings in Indochina The choice of a relatively comprehensive evaluation system to assess the level of transformation of WA in colonial period office buildings is based on the statistical analysis of office buildings constructed by France, considering origins, theoretical basis, design characteristics, and achieved architectural values of this type of structure The evaluation system comprises three groups of criteria and component criteria, with a specific scoring scale proposed based on the representation of these criteria in the structures, ultimately evaluating the level of WA transformation into three levels: strong - medium - low This evaluation system is not only applicable to office buildings but can also be employed for other types of structures from the same period It may also be applied to classical-style structures in the modern era to clearly observe the influence and evolution of WA over time The research identifies some patterns in the process of WA transformation These patterns continue to occur in a variety of structures embodying a “nostalgic” style in the modern era RECOMMENDATIONS Scientifically significant research issues should continue to be explored, such as: 24 Broadening research on the transformation of WA concerning urban planning, infrastructure, management, or types, scale, location of the structures, and their impacts on the urban landscape Research on the transformation of climate and energy impacting the change of WA Expanding research on the transformation of WA in classical-style structures of the modern and postmodern era, under the influences of architectural technology development and sustainable development trends Modernism and the modern version of classicalism are two separate theoretical bodies Scholars believe that forms originally developed in classical antiquity have proven over time to be the most successful in creating grandeur in architecture, and their meanings have become timeless and universal Modernists believe that these timeless and universal principles derived from classical design should be applied with modern technology and materials, and progressively address the modern world LIST OF RESEARCH WORKS CONDUCTED BY THE AUTHOR RELATED TO THE DISSERTATION TOPIC On Ngoc Yen Nhi (2022), The public building durings the French colonial period in Laos, Specialusis Ugdymas (Scopus-Q4), ISSN: 13925369, trang 112-121, Siauliai University Publisher, Lithuania On Ngoc Yen Nhi (2022), The influence of Neoclassicism on Ho Chi Minh architecture in the twenty-first Century, Journal of Positive School Psychology (Scopus-Q2), ISSN: 2717-7564, trang 8347-8360, Society of Psychology and Education Publisher, Turkey Le Van Thuong, Truong Thanh Hai, On Ngoc Yen Nhi (2022), The local climate adapting characteristics of traditional buidling in Indochina - Sustainable designs from vernacular architecture, Res Militaris (Scopus-Q4), ISSN: 2717-7564, trang 8347-8360, France Le Van Thuong, Truong Thanh Hai, On Ngoc Yen Nhi (2022), The solution to local climate adapting of French colonial public buildings in Indochina, Materials Today: Proceedings (Scopus-Q2), ISSN: 22147853, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2023.05.278, United Kingdom On Ngoc Yen Nhi, Truong Thanh Hai (2022), Characteristics of Public Buildings during the French Colonial Period in Laos, Architecture Journal Issue 7/2022, pages 80-84, Association of Vietnamese Architects, Hanoi On Ngoc Yen Nhi (2022), The Development of French Colonial Architecture in Public Buildings in Laos, University-Level Research Topic, Saigon University of Technology Truong Thanh Hai, On Ngoc Yen Nhi (2021), Neoclassical Architecture, University-Level Research Topic, Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture