Origin: Emerged in the 1970s with architects such as Norman Foster, Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano
High-tech appeared in the 1970s and turned structure, ducts, pipes and escalators into decoration. The Centre Pompidou in Paris, opened in 1977 and designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, is the famous example. Steel, glass and aluminium are used plainly, lightly and precisely.
In Vietnam, high-tech suits bright townhouses, mezzanines, cafés and offices. Use powder-coated steel, tempered glass, aluminium and exposed, uniformly painted ducts. Glass should be double-glazed or coated for thermal control against west sun, and metals need durable coatings to withstand damp weather. Keep the palette cool and tidy so the structure itself remains the decoration.
