“The Mutants” – A 15-Meter Vision Reshaping Workspace Design

Rising 15 meters through the central atrium of Toong Phan Boi Chau, an extraordinary presence shatters every convention of traditional workspace design. This towering sculpture poses a profound question: What happens when “The Mutants” breaks free from museum glass cases and cinema screens to inhabit our daily professional lives?

Art Without Boundaries

After international exhibitions in Malaysia and Japan, “The Mutants” has returned to Hanoi, establishing itself as an integral part of Toong Phan Boi Chau’s architecture and rhythm of life.

“The Mutants” forms part of the installation series “From Peculiar to Roses,” conceived by sculptor Do Ha Hoai alongside works including The Itchy One, The Concrete-mutants, and The Pioneer. These pieces express fresh perspectives on artistic expression. The sculpture comprises 50 small figurative elements, drawing inspiration from bodily allergic reactions to reflect humanity’s psychophysiological responses to society and environment.

When Mutants Become Inspirations

“From a bread roll that triggered my allergy, I began contemplating how humans react to the world,” shares Do Ha Hoai.

This experience expanded his reflection to encompass other ‘allergies’ occurring within the human mind and body when living amid urban pressures and social constraints.

Sculptural in form, “The Mutants” feet appear submerged in oceanic depths, hands gripping the ground floor, head floating among cloud layers, creating an unfixed form existing across multiple spatial dimensions. Over time, the work will change color like a living organism, responding to Hanoi’s characteristic air, light, and humidity.

Within Toong’s space, “The Mutants” becomes the perfect metaphor: creators who embrace discomfort without hesitation, transcending limitations to explode into ideas no one dared imagine. They fear neither collision nor breaking conventions—much like Do Ha Hoai transforming reactions into art.

The Fusion of Art and Architecture

Spanning five floors through the central atrium, “The Mutants” creates layered visual intersections as viewers move between levels. Each position reveals a different manifestation of the same artwork.

“The Mutants” wasn’t created for instant admiration. It’s not beautiful in conventional terms. But what breakthrough is easily embraced? What journey to success avoids the uncomfortable territory?

Working alongside art that defies conventional rules, we begin examining ourselves: Which unconscious rules limit our potential? Which opportunities have we missed through overly familiar perspectives?

“Working in technology, I’m accustomed to optimization and logic. ‘The Mutants’ is the opposite—intuitive and provocative. Yet this very quality makes me think differently, like rewriting code without following old templates.” —Tuan, tech startup founder.

At Toong, art isn’t decoration—it’s essence. “The Mutants” doesn’t merely exist; it challenges, provokes, and demands viewers pause for contemplation.

Mutant or Extraordinary?

At Toong, we believe great visions don’t emerge from comfort zones. “The Mutants” exemplifies how authentic creation begins with accepting—even embracing—discomfort. This isn’t the path of the majority, but it’s the way of pioneers.

Toong doesn’t create workspaces. Toong cultivates environments where breakthrough thinking flourishes, where pioneers dare confront the “mutant” to create the “extraordinary.”

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Toong Phan Boi Chau

Authors: Bui Bich Tra My, Nguyen Thach Thao