Residential

A Mirror to Nature: The Sky Villa by MM++ Architects in Vietnam

With a mirror ceiling, the Sky Villa in Vietnam encases people inside a serene bubble surrounded by nature

July 24, 2023

Shan Arcega

A serene feeling takes over and swallows the soul at the sight of being surrounded by nature. According to many health organizations, being surrounded by nature can bring several positive emotions including calmness, joy, and creativity. Nature can help a person better concentrate as well. For a city dweller who lives in the chaos of cities like Vietnam’s capital Hanoi (estimated to reach about 100 million soon), houses like the Sky Villa are treasures for the tired mind and soul.

*Guests are greeted by a suspended swimming pool that’s transparent in front.*

Located in Nha Trang, a seaside city on Vietnam’s southeast coast, the Sky Villa by MM++ Architects is an 800 square-meter site carved into a hill saddled between the bay in front and the mountainside from behind. Though built for a unique and playful experience with the optimized ocean view guests won’t forget, the Sky Villa emphasizes simple shapes seen in the exposed concrete slab that highlights brutalist influences, and a floating glass cube design that visually blends with the surroundings.

*With its reflective facade, the Sky Villa looks like a cube floating in the middle of nature.*

The entrance itself already welcomes dramatic effect. Accessible from the lower front of the site under a suspended swimming pool with a transparent front, the entrance opens into the ground floor where each of the two bedrooms has views of a private garden and jacuzzi, and also has a cinema room at the back of the house. The first floor meanwhile is a completely open area that doesn’t have any windows, opening the space for natural ventilation. Like a large, open deck, it has an unobstructed panoramic view of the outdoors and houses the swimming pool, a sunken living room, an entertainment corner, and the kitchen and dining area. Like the first floor, the second floor is an open area and has five bedrooms possessing large floor-to-ceiling windows that present a higher and undisturbed view of the surrounding landscape.

*The ceiling is a mirror that reflects everything, welcoming more of the outdoors inside.*

*Inside, a sunken living room has unobstructed views of the outdoors*.

Among many of its features, the Sky Villa’s stairs, kitchen, and sunken living room, are all made of natural materials. Its main interior feature–the mirror ceiling also brings the outdoors inside by presenting multiple reflections.

*The second floor which houses the bedrooms has floor-to-ceiling windows, assuring continuous views of the outdoors.*

Though the Sky Villa has a simple shape, its multiple aesthetic features and functional elements are able to create an unforgettable guest experience that maximizes nature’s beauty from every corner.

Photos courtesy of Hiroyuki Oki

Download this month's BLUPRINT magazine digital copy from:

Subscribe via [email protected]