AT THRESHOLDS
Massey University / Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Auckland, New Zealand
Le Phan Vu, a Vietnamese-born, Aotearoa-based designer, uses furniture as a way of navigating identity, belonging and cultural memory. Her project At Thresholds reimagines traditional Vietnamese dining practices within a contemporary context, creating a low-dining table that reflects the ways Vietnamese communities sit, eat and socialise.
Crafted from locally grown Macrocarpa, the piece avoids metal components in favour of sustainable construction. Its form draws deeply on cultural symbolism: the table’s overall shape references the Spiritual Turtle, while the legs reinterpret Hue Imperial City carvings. A red inlay on the tabletop features Canh Ngày Xuân by poet Nguyen Du, honouring Vu’s mother and grandmother, both literature teachers.
Balancing tradition and innovation, personal heritage and communal need, At Thresholds is both a functional gathering space and a vessel for diasporic storytelling. It celebrates the Vietnamese community in Aotearoa, while inviting future generations to add their voices to an evolving cultural narrative.
Find out more about Le’s winning project here.
