Si Tran currently lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City. He is a graphic designer at Bratus Studio. Si Tran has a passion for architecture, especially the balconies in this city. Sharing with Travellive, because his job forces him to be glued to the computer screen 24/7, he has to go out to find a way to balance his life.
"Riding around and looking at the surrounding streets makes me feel more positive and from here I encounter the beauty of the city's architecture, the marks of time that for someone who was not born here, I find both curious and impressive," said Si Tran.
Si Tran often has the habit of strolling around town after work.
He noticed and started taking pictures of Saigon balconies.
Saigon balcony reflects the homeowner's lifestyle.
The balconies have special architecture.
The idea of preserving balconies through his own camera has been growing inside him for many years, but only now has Si started to implement it. The photo series of 50 balconies in Saigon was taken from June to September 2022. For Si, preserving the architecture of the balconies means capturing the beauty of the city where he lives.
Si explains that Saigon balconies are a recurring pattern, found in every nook and cranny of the city. Although the architecture may be similar, each balcony tells a different story in the way the homeowner plants, dries clothes, cares for them, or neglects them.
"Because of that unique feature, I want to save pictures of balconies in Saigon in general and the places I can go to in particular," Si shared.
Many shapes of balconies in Saigon.
Modernist architecture of Saigon balcony.
For someone with a passion for architecture, Si believes that Saigon balconies have many similarities with other Asian countries such as Thailand, Taiwan, etc. However, the characteristics of Saigon balconies are the combination of people from all over the world, the unpredictable weather, the generous lifestyle and familiar street corners and alleys.
"They create a very unique quality that is difficult to describe in words. But when we mention Saigon, we often think of that very unique quality," Si said.
A special feature of typical balconies in Saigon is that they all have modern architecture (Modernist), using washed stone as the main material, have wrought iron railings and decorative louvers, balcony doors and windows have iron frames and glass panels and especially have a lot of plants. The image of homeowners taking care of plants on the balcony in the early morning or late afternoon sun is easy to see when you wander around the streets of Saigon.
"For me, every balcony has its own beauty. I even like demolished or patched balconies because they are very practical and easy to see in everyday life," Si said.
Saigon balcony is also a place for billboards.
An old-fashioned balcony.
To make a synchronous album of 50 balconies, he had to choose a balcony in an open space, not blocked by electric wires, lamp posts, signs or other structures. Weather is an important factor affecting the quality of the product. Si said that there were balconies that he took pictures of over and over again because the weather was not always good when he took his camera out, sometimes just cloudy weather or too much sunlight would make the balcony lose its sparkle.
The second difficulty comes from the shooting angle and space to stand. When approaching a balcony, Si often stands on the other side of the street to take photos. There are times when he has to sadly skip a balcony with unique architecture because the street is too small, especially the houses in the alley, Si does not have enough space to capture the whole subject.
Saigon balconies have similar architecture to many Asian countries.
Saigon balconies are also places to grow many green trees,
"The photo series of 50 balconies is the first step in the journey of collecting and storing balconies. I don't put too much emphasis on this project to have an end, but just want it to be a part of my life. The happiest thing when I share the photo series of 50 balconies in Saigon is that there are many people who have the habit and love of looking at balconies like me. The love and spread of everyone will help this beauty to be preserved more and longer," Si Tran shared with Travellive about his feelings after completing the photo series.
