Built during Vietnam’s Subsidy Period (1976–1986), these apartment blocks were designed for collective living at a time when resources were scarce and communities shared everyday space. For decades, teachers, factory workers, street vendors, and children have moved through the same stairwells, kitchens, and courtyards.
Today, as Hanoi undergoes rapid urban transformation, many of these buildings face demolition to make way for new high-rise developments. Some residents have already relocated, while others remain in apartments that have slowly deteriorated after nearly half a century of continuous use.
This series observes the final period of life within these collective housing complexes. It follows long-term residents — retired educators who arrived in the 1970s, workers adapting to shifting economic realities, elderly individuals living alone, and children growing up in buildings soon to disappear.
Together, the photographs trace a shared living environment where personal histories, aging architecture, and the transformation of the city intersect within the same walls.
