Golden land tied in old buildings
Trung Tu apartment complex (Dong Da ward) is located on an area of about 12ha, built in the 1970s-1980s, owning the central location of Dong Da district. This used to be one of the densely populated and bustling residential areas, conveniently connected to many major streets in Dong Da and Hai Ba Trung districts.
This area includes buildings ranging from 2 to 5 floors, each building has from 60 to 120 apartments. However, after nearly half a century of use (about 46-56 years), many items have seriously deteriorated.
According to reporters' records on the afternoon of March 17, the residential area currently looks messy and damp. Many buildings are clearly degraded with peeling walls, cracked foundations, old structures, posing a potential safety risk. The electrical wiring system is tangled, posing a potential risk of fire and unexpected incidents in people's daily lives.
Similarly, Kim Lien collective housing area (Dong Da ward, Hanoi), built from 1959-1965 with 42 building blocks ranging from 2 to 6 floors, is also in a clear state of degradation.
Through actual observation, many items here are old and dilapidated, infrastructure is seriously degraded, not much different from Trung Tu collective housing area, posing an urgent requirement for renovation and embellishment to ensure safety and quality of life for residents.
Thousands of apartment buildings waiting for reconstruction
According to the Hanoi Department of Construction, the whole city currently has about 2,160 old apartment buildings that need to be reviewed and renovated. Old apartment buildings are becoming "bottlenecks" of the city when they seriously degrade over time.
Not only that, the image of old buildings also tarnishes the city's appearance, wasting central land fund. Renovation of old apartment buildings is therefore no longer an option, but an urgent requirement.
However, the renovation progress in recent years has still been slow compared to the set target. The National Assembly's promulgation of Resolution No. 258/2025/QH15 with special mechanisms is expected to create a breakthrough for the reconstruction of old apartment buildings in the Capital. This Resolution stipulates piloting a number of special mechanisms and policies on investment, planning, urban areas, architecture, construction, land and finance to implement large and important projects in the Capital...
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper reporters about the renovation of old apartment buildings in Hanoi, Mr. Le Van Thinh - former Head of Appraisal Department 1, State Authority for Construction Quality Inspection (Ministry of Construction) - said that the assessment of the current status of the project must be based on a specific system of standards on structure and safety level.
Also according to Mr. Thinh, Hanoi City functional agencies hired 6 consulting companies at home and abroad to develop detailed plans at a scale of 1/500. The development of this plan depends heavily on factors such as construction geology and hydrogeology of the area.
Planning must have a 100-year vision. When the plan has been approved, it is necessary to be "loyal" to that plan, not to adjust arbitrarily, otherwise it will break the initial orientation," Mr. Thinh said.
Mr. Thinh believes that, based on long-term planning, Hanoi City functional agencies will decide which areas need to be demolished for new construction. Regarding the Old Quarter, the principle is not to intervene to preserve the value and "soul" of the Old Quarter, while old collective housing and apartment buildings need to be replaced by new multi-functional and convenient buildings suitable for people's lives.
