Concon Hotel / ARB Architects

Although it’s been in operation for over a year, Concon House – Vietnamese for a mini-house -- still gives the impression of being just an architecture student’s dream, rising from a tiny plot in the center of old Hanoi. Its seven floors appear to float in the sky, separated from each other by stilt-like columns. Essentially, it is a collection of independent three-room hotel units ranging in size between 10 and 20 square meters, surrounding a central core containing elevators, plumbing, and electric conduits.