Photos: The $3 million ‘crazy’ mansion in Da Lat

With an area of 2,000 m2, the villa has very unusual architecture. Open for tourists since 1990, the project has increasingly expanded with special projects like a maze. The owner of this villa is architect Dang Viet Nga, the daughter of late Party Secretary Truong Chinh. She said the entire investment in this project is up to VND60 billion.

The construction as well as the process of claiming possession of this house are both long stories. Started from scratch, there was time that Nga was on the verge of bankruptcy when all banks refused to lend her. It was at this point that she came up with the idea of selling tickets for tourists visiting the house.

Moreover, after 18 continuous years and six times filing, she has been given the possession of this house, as well as its recognition as a piece of art. Still, she doesn’t want to relax at all but is going to add up more construction, such as a communal house inside the existing area.

Hang Nga guesthouse, also known as the “Crazy House,” is an extraordinary building of non-rectilinear shapes. It has appeared in many international architectural journals, and finally made its way to the list of the world’s 10 most creative buildings.

As the intention of the architect is to make a fairytale house, the “crazy house” resembles a tree with uneven windows, tunnel-shaped stairways, etc.  Both the exterior and the interior of the guesthouse are created and decorated with twisting organic forms and very few right angles. The hollow “tree” extends in many directions, rising above to reach the sky of Da Lat.

Walking along the cave-shape hallways inside the house is an exhilarating experience, a departure from the norm; wild mushrooms and spider webs pop up on your way.  Besides, the guesthouse is a spectacular construction with ten themed guest rooms such as the tiger room, the eagle room, the ant room and the kangaroo room… with decorations and handcrafted furniture matching the theme.

According to Nga, each room has its own meaning: the tiger room refers to the Chinese; the eagle room describes the American; and the ant room represents the Vietnamese, etc.  

Even though it is a hotel, Hang Nga Guesthouse is today regarded as a “museum” of dreams and childhood. Everyone has their own interpretation of the house but all agree on one thing: the guesthouse is so pure and natural that they were once again lost in their childhood dream.

Nga did the entire construction by herself, from conceptualization to design, drawings to construction. “I directly hired construction workers and asked them to build the house to my requirements, rather than signing a contract with any building company. However, it took some time for them to understand and comply with my idea,” Nga said.

Architect Viet Nga. The bottom is designed as the devil cave, and going up it is a maze-like setting. Stairs are everywhere. Visitors can go from the bottom up to the roof. The path is built as a narrow rope ladder, barely enough for one person. The fare is VND30,000/person. Trees and small lakes are scattered everywhere, creating a feeling of closeness to nature. Every day, the villa receives about 500-1,200 visitors. The most impressive thing of the villa is the bizarre hotel system, with about 10 rooms, with the rent of $35-$75 dollars a night. Some rooms can accommodate up to six people. The bathroom. The crystal ceiling chandelier worth several thousand USD. Many more hotel rooms are being built here to meet the need of tourists, mainly foreigners. Guests at the villa have a panoramic view of Da Lat.

Photo: Zing

Photos: The $3 million ‘crazy’ mansion in Da Lat

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