Planning a global venue

One of the world’s largest economic forums, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), is coming to Phu Quoc, Vietnam, in 2027, and SOM is designing and planning its waterfront venue. Planned as a 57-hectare civic and cultural district beside the island’s famed resorts and white sand beaches, the venue will host the summit and serve the island long after the event.

SOM’s plan for the district focuses on a signature convention center, among the world’s largest; a theater for performances and community events; and a landmark tower surrounded by residential and commercial developments. A central boulevard, surrounded by lush landscapes and a new park, connects more than two kilometers of promenades and plazas. Combined with major upgrades to transit infrastructure, the development supports the island’s emerging role as a hub for business, diplomacy, and international tourism. 

The venues and waterfront parks, as well as a hotel designed by Aedas, comprise the project’s first phase. The convention center and theater were designed and engineered by SOM on an accelerated, 2.5-year schedule from the start of design to APEC in November 2027, when 15,000 delegates will attend from the 21 APEC member economies. This first phase, targeting LEED Platinum certification for each building, will be followed by the design and construction of the mixed-use tower, low-to-mid-rise residential buildings, offices, additional hotels, and retail.

A state-of-the-art convention center, inspired by nature

The ocean is central to Vietnamese culture: it is a symbol of life and a prominent part of the nation’s ecosystem and economy. The design of the convention center harmonizes with the fluid forms of the sea, while providing Phu Quoc with a 76,000-square-meter venue for a variety of events.

The building is defined by a series of curving steel trusses, with ripples that capture sunlight, evoke the ocean, and offer the flexibility to incorporate solar panels in the future. The curved trusses are nearly identical and follow an optimal structural geometry, enabling speed and efficiency in production. Clerestory windows in each truss bring natural light into the middle of the building, a rarity for a convention center of this size.

Inside, bamboo and stone finishes create a warm atmosphere. It is a coral-colored interior, brightly lit and offering meeting spaces both large and small. The building accommodates rooms for entertainment, large exhibitions, and multiple ballrooms, including the world’s largest at 300 square meters, that can be adapted for other uses. Rising three stories, the convention center features dramatic, transparent entrances on its eastern and western sides. To the west, attendees will have a direct view of the theater, which aligns with the sunset each night.

A theater embodying Vietnam’s national identity

In Vietnam, the dragon is a symbol of good fortune and an important figure in the nation’s folklore. SOM’s design and structure for the 36,000-square-meter theater draws from ancient traditions and myth. Fifty columns, representing the mythical creature’s 50 children, support a circular roof structure resembling the scales of the dragon. Working as a rainscreen with stormwater capture in the center, the roof is made of painted aluminum panels that match the tone of the dragon and undersea reefs. With finishes of terracotta and glass fiber reinforced concrete, the theater is designed to weather gracefully in its tropical climate.

The theater will welcome guests to a vaulted lobby within a bermed landscape. Above, a rotunda encircles the building, and connects to terraces and restaurants both indoors and outside with sweeping views of the sea. When the building opens, it will host APEC’s opening ceremony before featuring performances in its auditoriums year-round.