HCM CITY – The Vietnam Steel Architectural Awards 2026 has announced and honoured its winning projects following an evaluation by the jury.

Co-organised by NS BlueScope Vietnam and Hồ Chí Minh University of Architecture, this year’s awards were held under the theme “Shaping Resilient Futures: Timeless Design with Coated Steel”, attracting 32 entries across two categories: Professional and Student.

The Vietnam Steel Architectural Awards 2026 announces the winning projects in the Professional and Student categories.

The winning projects in the Professional and Student categories showcase diverse applications of steel in architecture in Việt Nam. The entries demonstrate that steel is not only a functional material that meets the technical requirements of buildings, but also contributes to architectural aesthetics and form.

Winning projects honoured at the Vietnam Steel Architectural Awards 2026

Pandora Crafting Facility – Binh Duong, designed by Archetype Vietnam, was awarded First Prize in the Industrial Category

In the Professional category – Industrial, Pandora Crafting Facility in Bình Dương province, designed by Archetype Vietnam, received the First Prize. The project was recognised for integrating the functional requirements of a manufacturing facility and its brand identity into the architectural form. Steel serves not only a functional purpose but also contributes to the project’s distinctive architectural character.

Avatar Ready-Built Factory in Quảng Ninh province, designed by Kansai Vina, and the Rang Dong Textile Industrial Park Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ninh Bình, designed by SEICO, both received the Second Prize.

The APSC VSIP II-A Multi-Functional Warehouse in Bình Dương, designed by VEV; Kim Long Motor Hue Production Complex, designed by IDCo; and Song Hong 11 Garment Factory in Nam Định, designed by VNCC, received the Third Prize.

Can Gio Pavilions, designed by DE-SO Asia, received the First Prize in the Commercial category.

In the Professional category – Commercial, Can Gio Pavilions, designed by DE-SO Asia, received the First Prize. The project was recognised by the jury for its approach to using natural conditions and the surrounding landscape to shape its architectural solution, while employing steel as a key material to realise the design concept.

In the Student category, Kizuna Service Factory, designed by a team from Hồ Chí Minh University of Architecture, received the First Prize. Tay Ninh FAB HUB, designed by a team from Hồ Chí Minh University of Technology and Education, received the Second Prize.

Green Node Factory, designed by a team from Hồ Chí Minh University of Architecture, and LEGO Toy Manufacturing Factory, designed by a student from Hồ Chí Minh University of Technology and Education, both received the Third Prize.

According to the jury, this year’s winning projects demonstrate diverse approaches to the use of steel in architecture.

“The designs have become more refined, addressing not only functional requirements but also aesthetic considerations, while incorporating elements related to people and the environment,” the jury said.

Expanding connections with the next generation of architects

2026 marks the first year the awards have expanded to include a Student category, with participants challenged to develop industrial architecture designs based on a real-world design brief.

2026 marks the first year the awards have expanded to include a Student category

The projects demonstrate that students are approaching industrial architecture not merely as a matter of production processes and functional requirements, but are also paying greater attention to building form, materials, colours, landscape, the environment and human experience.

A member of the jury noted that bringing industrial architecture into a competition for students could make the field more accessible to the next generation of architects.

“Through this award, I believe industrial architecture projects will attract greater interest from students, who will feel less intimidated when they begin working on such designs,” the lecturer said.

According to a representative of Hồ Chí Minh University of Architecture, this is also an important value of collaboration between academia and industry, providing students with greater exposure to professional practice while bringing real-world experience into the educational environment.

From the Vietnam awards to a regional steel architecture forum

Beyond recognising outstanding projects, the Vietnam Steel Architectural Awards, initiated by NS BlueScope Vietnam, aims to serve as a forum 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 programme goes beyond the awards themselves. More importantly, it is about ideas being shared, encounters developing into lasting connections, and new inspiration being sparked across the architectural community,” said Dong Mai Lam, Country President of NS BlueScope Vietnam.

Following the awards ceremony in Việt Nam, the 2026 programme will continue at the regional level. Pandora Crafting Facility in Bình Dương and Can Gio Pavilions, the First Prize winners in the Industrial and Commercial categories, respectively, will represent Việt Nam at the ASEAN Steel Architectural Awards 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, this November.

The two projects will bring perspectives and practices in steel architecture from Việt Nam to the regional professional forum./.