Vung Tau is undergoing a significant transformation through a series of major urban infrastructure improvements. Among them, the Thuy Van Pedestrian Underpass System represents more than a solution to urban mobility. It is part of a broader vision to enhance the quality, identity and public experience of the coastal city through contemporary and sustainable design.
 

Addressing Mobility Along Vung Tau’s Coastal Boulevard
Thuy Van Street is one of Vung Tau’s key coastal corridors, connecting major tourism destinations along the beachfront. During peak seasons, the high volume of pedestrians crossing between the city and the beach has long created challenges for both traffic flow and pedestrian safety.
The project introduces five pedestrian underpasses across Thuy Van Street, providing safer and more convenient connections to the beachfront park and public amenities while allowing vehicular traffic to move more efficiently along the coastal boulevard.
Two underpasses are developed through public investment, while three are funded by private enterprises.

Beyond Infrastructure – Architecture as Part of the Urban Landscape
Sharing the vision behind the project, Nguyen Thi Lan Phuong, Founder of LMP Design, explains that the ambition extends beyond creating safe and convenient pedestrian crossings.
The underpasses are conceived as part of the wider urban landscape — spaces that are open, welcoming and closely connected to their coastal context.
Rather than being treated purely as transportation infrastructure, each entrance is designed as an architectural element within the public realm, contributing to a contemporary identity for Vung Tau while enhancing the everyday experience of residents and visitors.
An open design approach and the careful use of natural daylight help transform the experience of moving underground into one that feels lighter, more accessible and more connected to the surrounding environment.
The project team also studied the specific conditions of Vung Tau’s coastal climate and local patterns of pedestrian movement in order to develop appropriate architectural and technical solutions.

Contemporary Design, Integrated with the Landscape
The Thuy Van Pedestrian Underpass System is shaped around three principal considerations: contemporary design, sustainability and integration with the surrounding landscape.
Transparent tempered-glass roofs and walls create visually open entrance structures, maintaining sightlines and allowing daylight to reach the circulation spaces below.
The underground stairways and pedestrian passages are constructed in reinforced concrete, while the entrance canopies combine steel framing with transparent glazing. The resulting architecture is intentionally light and restrained, allowing the structures to sit naturally within the surrounding coastal landscape rather than becoming visually dominant.
Generous, open entrances further improve visibility, accessibility and the overall pedestrian experience.
Through this approach, the project moves beyond the conventional perception of an underpass as purely functional infrastructure. Instead, architecture becomes part of the public realm and contributes to the evolving urban identity of Vung Tau.

Part of a Wider Coastal Transformation
The pedestrian underpasses form an important component of the wider Thuy Van Street and Back Beach urban regeneration project, with a total investment of approximately VND 1.1 trillion.
The broader development aims not only to improve traffic circulation but also to transform Back Beach into a contemporary coastal park with enhanced public amenities and a stronger relationship between the city and its waterfront.
Within this larger urban vision, the pedestrian underpass system represents a new approach to integrating mobility infrastructure, architecture and landscape — one that may offer a reference for the future development of other coastal cities in Vietnam.
 

Project Collaboration
The Thuy Van Pedestrian Underpass project brings together a multidisciplinary team of design consultants, supervision consultants and contractors:
Design Consultants
Nagecco – LMP Design Joint Venture
LMP Design – BR
Supervision Consultants
Southern Institute of Bridge and Road Construction Technology
Nhat Minh Construction Design Consulting Co., Ltd.
Contractor
DIC Holdings
Through the integration of architecture, infrastructure and landscape, the Thuy Van Pedestrian Underpasses contribute to a more connected, accessible and contemporary coastal public realm for Vung Tau.