History & story.
Landmark 81 broke ground in December 2014 and was inaugurated on July 26, 2018, becoming Vietnam's tallest building at 461.3 metres and 81 floors — ranked 11th in the world at the time of completion. General contractor Coteccons achieved a world construction speed record of one floor every 3.5 days, finishing 60 days ahead of schedule. The foundation, sunk 75 metres deep, required the largest single concrete pour in HCMC history — 10,000 m³ in one continuous operation — along with 80,000 tonnes of steel and 100,000 m³ of specially engineered concrete researched for six months to enable pumping above 400 metres. Equally remarkable was the safety record: not a single accident occurred across four years of construction. The design by British firm Atkins drew inspiration from a cluster of bamboo shoots reaching skyward — five main structural columns unite at the base then separate and taper toward the summit, creating an organic form rarely seen in supertall architecture.
Located within the Vinhomes Central Park riverside development in Binh Thanh District, the tower is the centrepiece of a 44-hectare megaproject with 11 residential towers, a riverside park and the 220,000-square-metre Vincom Mega Mall. The Vinpearl Sky 81 observation deck on floors 79-81 offers views from exactly 400 metres. Each floor delivers a different experience: floor 79 is the Miwaku café lounge with multiple panoramic photo spots; floor 80 is a Japanese fine dining restaurant with 360-degree views; floor 81 is SkyTouch — an open-air glass platform for thrill-seekers wearing safety harnesses. The finest moment is at sunset when the city transitions from golden-orange to purple to an explosion of millions of lights. From this height, Saigon's old canal network is visible below, juxtaposed against modern boulevards and the rare remaining patches of green.
The Vinpearl Luxury Landmark 81 hotel occupying floors 47-77 with 223 rooms designed by Wilson Associates was Southeast Asia's highest hotel at its April 2019 inauguration. The presidential suite on floor 68 spans 500 square metres — the largest in Vietnam and Asia at that time. The five-star hotel's presence accelerated a wave of investment that transformed Binh Thanh from an industrial suburb into the city's most prestigious riverside district in less than a decade. The riverside promenade from Vinhomes Central Park to Landmark 81 is today one of HCMC's most beautiful public spaces — where locals jog at dawn, take wedding photographs and hold outdoor events. Each year millions of visitors ascend to the Skydeck, turning Landmark 81 from an office and hotel tower into an independent tourist destination in its own right.
Landmark 81 is not merely a technical record — it is a manifesto about Ho Chi Minh City's ambitions in the 21st century. A city once devastated by war, once forced to rebuild from scratch after 1975, now stands before a giant glass tower reflecting the tropical sky and asks the world: we have arrived. Within a single generation, HCMC grew from 3 million to nearly 10 million residents, from a second-tier industrial city to a leading Southeast Asian economic centre — and Landmark 81 is the skyward-pointing finger of that journey.
The record speed is only the surface — what is truly remarkable is that not a single accident occurred across four years of building Vietnam's tallest tower.
— Harris Wayne Jeffrey, Giám đốc An toàn Coteccons, VnExpress 2018
Highlights not to miss.
Sitting at exactly 400 metres, the Skydeck spans three floors with three distinct experiences: floor 79 is the Miwaku café lounge with multiple panoramic photo spots, a virtual parachuting game called "Top of Vietnam," and mini hot-air balloon rides; floor 80 is a Japanese fine dining restaurant with 360-degree views while you eat; floor 81 is SkyTouch — an open-air glass platform where thrill-seekers wearing safety harnesses can stand suspended above the city. At sunset, the cityscape transitions from golden-orange to purple to an explosion of millions of lights — one of the finest views in Southeast Asia.
The Vincom Mega Mall at the building's base gathers hundreds of international and Vietnamese brands, an ice rink and an expansive entertainment complex. On the tower's high floors, Vinpearl restaurants serve "Pho Landmark 81" — traditional Vietnamese noodle soup enjoyed at 400 metres with a sweeping city panorama — a dining experience found nowhere else. The upper-floor precinct also includes a spa and rooftop bar for hotel guests.
The 36-hectare riverside park stretches along the Saigon River with a lake, walking trails, a suspension bridge and outdoor sports areas — serving as the morning exercise destination for thousands of Binh Thanh residents. On weekend evenings, regular water-music performances and fireworks draw families and couples from across the city. The riverside promenade from the park to the base of Landmark 81 is today one of HCMC's most beautiful public spaces — alive with wedding photography, yoga sessions and outdoor events from dawn to late at night.
Viewed from the Skydeck at night, Saigon appears as a sea of sparkling lights with glowing expressway ribbons, the Saigon River winding and reflecting the city's glow, and millions of light points stretching to the horizon — a panorama few Southeast Asian cities can match. From 400 metres in the still night air, visitors can identify the direction of Thu Duc, across to District 7, and even the distant glow of Binh Duong province. This is the moment many visitors choose for their most memorable photographs, as the city's layered lights create a depth that no image fully captures.
Book the 17:30–18:30 Skydeck slot to see both sunset and the city lighting up in a single visit — no need to choose between daytime and night views.
How to visit & get there.
Getting There
Landmark 81 is in Binh Thanh, about 5–6 km from central District 1. Grab takes about 15–20 minutes from the centre and is the most convenient option for most visitors. Alternatively, take a ferry from Bach Dang Pier (District 1) to Binh An Pier — much cheaper and gives you a river perspective of the tower that no other angle provides. Car parking is available within the Vinhomes Central Park complex.
Insider Tips
Buy Skydeck tickets online in advance to skip the queue at the counter, especially on weekends and public holidays. Book the 17:30–18:30 slot to see both the sunset panorama and the city lighting up in a single visit. Bring a light jacket — it is significantly cooler at 400 metres. If you want dinner with a sunset view at the floor 80 restaurant, reserve a table at least one week ahead on weekends.