Shark Jaw – a name that already tastes of rebellion – is about to disappear from the face of Hoàn Kiếm Lake. And strangely enough, what was once deemed out of place, even disruptive to the cityscape, is now stirring a quiet sense of nostalgia. In a Hanoi that’s becoming increasingly safe and polished, Shark Jaw stood as one of the rare few that dared to be wrong – just to be alive. To NEM, it was never just a building. It was a fracture in public aesthetics, a place where your gaze was forced to stop, react, and feel. And that, in itself, is the true courage of a structure that dares to evoke emotion.
From NEM’s perspective, that void shouldn’t be filled with something safe — it should become the birthplace of a new icon, where urban emotion is pushed to the limits of art and imagination. And if we’re to dream, NEM dreams big. Instead of another commercial block, let this place become:
Emotional Urban Pavilion
This will be a monumental sculpture in the heart of the city — a place not for shopping or check-ins, but for pure experience. Its form may shift with the time of day, crafted from eco-friendly materials and brought to life with interactive light effects. The concept draws inspiration from The Vessel in New York — a structure with no traditional function, yet one that draws millions simply by being different, by being boldly and unapologetically itself.
Open-Air Memory Capsule
An open space — no enclosing walls, no sheltering roof — yet infused with slices of Hanoi’s memory. From materials like laterite stone, encaustic tiles, and reclaimed wood, to soundscapes and lighting that echo different historical eras, this will be a place where people can sit, stroll, and slowly reconnect with the city’s past. This idea aligns with Superkilen Park in Copenhagen, Denmark — a space that brings together over 100 cultural artifacts from around the world, from benches and fountains to monuments and street signs. All coexist in an open, boundaryless space — where there is no fixed definition of right or wrong. Superkilen is not merely a park. It is a living map of collective memory, shaped by the multicultural voices of the community itself.
Open-Air Memory Capsule
A multi-sensory interactive space — where digital art, sound, and high-tech lighting converge to create the sensation of stepping into another world. Each step taken triggers a new sensory shift, making visitors feel as though they are moving through a second dimension of reality. This concept could draw inspiration from the 9/11 Memorial in New York, USA — a globally impactful destination where memory is etched not just into stone and water, but into silence and absence. It is a space where people enter stillness, not guided by signs or narration, but by the weight of experience itself.
According to the latest announcement from the Hanoi People’s Committee, the “Shark Jaw” building (75 Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street, Hoàn Kiếm District) — a structure that has stirred controversy for years — will officially be dismantled in 2025. This decision aims to restore the surrounding landscape, architectural harmony, and public space around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, long regarded as a cultural heritage site of the capital.
However, as of now, the city has not yet released any official plan for what will replace this prime location. The removal of Shark Jaw has sparked anticipation within the architecture and urban planning community — most notably, the proposal to develop an open public space rich in symbolism and deeply rooted in Hanoi’s cultural history. It’s seen as a rare and valuable opportunity for the capital to redefine its central urban aesthetic — toward something more refined, contemporary, and deeply expressive.
Whatever direction is taken, NEM believes this: Hoàn Kiếm doesn’t need another “tastefully designed” building. It needs a rupture — sharp, slender, and impossible to fill. A structure that doesn’t blend into the landscape, but dares to create a new one. Let the place once called “Shark Jaw” continue to stir, to move, and to provoke — because that is what truly makes it part of the city’s living memory.
