Poster mash-up: ODDO made a propaganda look-a-like poster for turning Banana Island into a public park. — Photo courtesy of ODDO Architects Viet Nam News by Nguyễn Mỹ Hà We drive to Long Biên Bridge to get to Bãi Giữa, more commonly known as Banana Island, a 24ha stretch of land in the middle of the Red River. Running down from the centre of the bridge is a steel staircase leading to an island covered by a green canopy of banana, papaya and guava trees, interspersed with the cloudy-white flowers of the wild reeds. The area is vast with no roads, just beaten paths zigzagging behind gardens and trees. It’s a world away from the hustle and bustle of the vibrant city we left behind. "It’s very quiet down here," says Marek Obtulovic from ODDO Architects, as his colleague Nguyễn Hoàng Long nods in agreement. As we walk under the shade of numerous banana leaves, Obtulovic stops and says: “This is where our … [Read more...] about Nostalgic Future: Turning Banana Island into Green Lungs of Hà Nội