[S01.1] Non-religious Spiritual space for social cohesion in Vietnam

In recent years, Interior Design has developed as a promising field in Vietnam. The target of designing an interior space is, however, simply considered as a creation of well- decorated spaces for commercial or entertainment purpose only. This adverse misperception not only in Vietnam but all around the world (Caan 2011) is retaining its possibly profound influences in terms of society and culture whereas we are confronted with challenges for preserving and developing an identity in the international environment. There are many types of research which emphasized this spiritual interaction in the architectural aspect but not particularly focusing on interior design.

That is to say, the definition of spiritual spaces should be perceived in a broader context not only as a spatial experience in regards to religion but also as a means of cultural expression in which the outside world could be brought into the most intimate contact with the user’s mind through the senses.

Given the lack of the experiential engagement between the users and the space itself, interior spaces in Vietnam currently can only serve as spaces for physical activities rather than a place for contemplation and self- reflection. Despite the huge differences in lifestyle of two generations- the young and the older, spiritual linkages which have been instilled in the people who have been raised and grew up in the same country still endure in shape of cultural memories. On the other words, these spiritual values can only be reactivated when the people have a space for self-reflection to profoundly feel and perceive what has made them become social beings. By this means, a non- religious spiritual space for collective memory would potentially be a bridge to help the people reach their deepest essence as well as enhance the social cohesion in the contemporary social setting. (Figure 1).

Figure 1 summarises the key concept for this research placed in the theme of social cohesion. The pressing social issues in Vietnamese society which will be identified and analysed in this report are the disconnection and losing shared memories in the community between the post-war generation, who are born after 1975 and the war generation who are born before 1975. The second point is about the cultural conflicts between collectivism and individualism between these generations. Hence, a spiritual space serving a non-religious purpose within a social frame is expected to be a viable solution for these social issues.