Constructing the World’s Largest Golden Turtle Dome in 10 Months: Contractor Reveals ‘Terrifying’ Deadline Pressure and ‘Not Wasting a Single Minute’ Principle

During the recent National Day celebrations on September 2nd, the Kim Quy Exhibition Hall at Vietnam Exhibition Center unveiled its impressive steel dome structure, weighing approximately 24,000 tons. This monumental project was executed by three leading Vietnamese steel structure companies—ATAD, QH Plus, and Dai Dung—under the coordination of the investor, Vingroup.

“A Race Against Time”

On September 2, 2024, amidst the holiday festivities, Mr. Do Duc Trung, Sales Director of ATAD Steel Structure Corporation, received a call notifying him of their involvement in the Kim Quy Exhibition Hall’s steel dome project. This was the most critical and complex component of the Vietnam Exhibition Center, a top-10 global-scale project.

ATAD immediately mobilized its entire workforce for the construction plan. Typically, a project of this magnitude—24,000 tons of steel—would take 1.5 to 2 years to complete. However, Vingroup demanded completion within just 10 months.

“The entire project had a 10-month deadline. Specifically, the steel dome construction had to be completed in just 5 months, as foundation work had to be finished before installation could begin. The steel dome also needed to be ready by April 25, 2025, to allow for the installation of the roof and other components. It was an unprecedented challenge,” Mr. Trung recalled.

ATAD was responsible for 2 out of the 9 halls of the Kim Quy Exhibition Hall, accounting for 20% of the total steel volume. Despite the steel dome construction not starting until late November, ATAD immediately engaged 8 factories to produce large-diameter steel pipes for the project. Strict quality control was enforced, with supervisors stationed at each factory to ensure every component met Vingroup’s rigorous standards.

“Each module produced by one factory had to seamlessly integrate with modules from another. The steel pipe structure had a massive span, but the allowable margin of error was measured in millimeters. There was no room for mistakes—every piece had to fit perfectly the first time,” Mr. Trung explained.

After 112 days of construction, ATAD became the first steel structure company to complete its portion on April 25, 2025, setting the pace for the project’s rapid milestones.

Working alongside ATAD were QH Plus and Dai Dung. QH Plus handled the construction of 3 halls, with a steel volume equivalent to ATAD’s.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Huan, CEO of QH Plus Steel Structure Joint Stock Company, noted that despite managing nearly 20 domestic and international projects simultaneously, the company prioritized this project by deploying 500 personnel to focus on steel pipe production at their factory. An additional 150 engineers and supervisors were stationed on-site, making it their “top priority.”

Given the high-altitude construction, with the highest point reaching 56 meters, large cranes ranging from 350 to 500 tons were extensively used. Despite the year-end construction peak across the country, long-standing supplier networks enabled contractors to mobilize nearly all northern resources to the Co Loa site.

At its peak, the project employed 3,000 workers and engineers, with hundreds of contractors and thousands of machines in operation. This massive effort ensured the project’s completion within the 10-month deadline—a remarkable feat compared to the global record of 36 months for similar projects.

Maximizing Every Minute

According to Mr. Do Duc Trung, Vingroup maintained a stringent progress monitoring system: “Every aspect, from design to construction, was meticulously planned, with twice-daily reports to track each milestone. Even in adverse weather, adjustments were made on-site to ensure not a single minute was wasted.”

Companies like QH Plus, ATAD, and Dai Dung bring extensive experience from large-scale domestic and international projects. QH Plus gained recognition for its work on Landmark 81, Vietnam’s tallest skyscraper, and contributed to VinFast and Vinhomes projects. ATAD has completed over 4,000 steel structure projects in 60 countries, including 30,000 tons of steel for VinFast Hai Phong. Dai Dung supplied steel structures for two stadiums during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Participating in technically demanding projects like the Vietnam Exhibition Center allows these companies to enhance their construction and management capabilities, positioning them for future international endeavors.