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๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ Vietnam /Culture & Society

Redeveloping Hoan Kiem Lake must preserve its heritage soul for Hanoi's future

From Tuแป•i Trแบป · () Vietnamese

Translated from Vietnamese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Interview Named sources New plan
  • Hanoi is consulting residents on adjustments to urban plans covering Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter and surrounding streets.
  • Architect Dao Ngoc Nghiem says the new study should build on decades of earlier research and fully identify the area's heritage value.
  • He argues that future redevelopment must connect conservation with the use and promotion of the lake area's cultural value.

Hanoi is revisiting the planning of the area around Hoan Kiem Lake, a historic center that has already generated decades of studies, designs and disputes. The city is seeking public feedback on adjustments to urban planning sectors H1-1B, covering the lake and its surroundings, and part of H1-1C.

Architect Dao Ngoc Nghiem, vice chairman of the Vietnam Association of Urban Planning and Development and a former director of Hanoi's Department of Planning and Architecture, said the renewed study was necessary. Planning for Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter dates back many years, including a plan for the lake and surrounding area in 1995. Dozens of scientific studies preceded the plan now under consultation.

Detailed plans and urban designs have covered streets including Trang Thi, Trang Tien, Hang Khay and Ly Thai To. Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square has also been the subject of several national competitions to improve and refurbish the area. Other proposals have drawn conflicting views, including a metro route and a possible underground station near But Tower. Those ideas required opinions from the Ministry of Culture and the National Assembly before decisions could be made.

Nghiem said the area, which took shape in the early 19th century, has been examined by Vietnamese and international researchers seeking to identify valuable architecture and define its spatial character. Many plans were consulted on and approved but never implemented. He said the next effort should inherit earlier research and learn from its failures.

He pointed to Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, where a national-level study and design competition produced winners but no completed project. In his view, the effort failed to connect conservation requirements with the broader goal of bringing the area's value into active use. He said planners must first gather enough documentation to recognize the full heritage value of Hoan Kiem Lake and its surroundings.

The research must have enough documentation to fully identify the value of the area.

· Dao Ngoc NghiemThe architect said planners need a complete record of the lake area's heritage before revising its urban plan.
About this summary

Originally published by Tuแป•i Trแบป in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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