Expanding public space
Hanoi has announced the Planning of Dong Kinh - Nghia Thuc Square area and the Public Space Area East of Hoan Kiem Lake.
Accordingly, the Dong Kinh - Nghia Thuc Square area will have a total expected area of about 1.2 hectares, the public space area east of Hoan Kiem Lake has a total expected area of about 2.14 hectares. It is expected that the People's Committee of Hoan Kiem District will clear the site of the Shark Hoat Building before April 30, 2025 and the area east of Hoan Kiem Lake before September 2, 2025.
Talking with Lao Dong, KTS. Tran Huy Anh - Standing member of the Hanoi Architects Association agreed with site clearance to expand public space around Hoan Kiem Lake.
The architect commented: "The area around Hoan Kiem Lake was formed when Hanoi only had a few tens of thousands of people. At that time, the planners of the early 20th century created a beautiful space, converging visual, landscape elements and valuable architectural works, existing for more than 100 years.
However, Hanoi is currently a crowded urban area with a population of about 8.5 million people. With the high density and intensity of activities of people and tourists, this area has become overloaded and needs to be expanded.
According to KTS. Tran Huy Anh, Hoan Kiem Lake is located in the central area of Hanoi's core city. During the planning process, it is necessary to maximize public transportation activities, create maximum conditions for walking and people to communicate with each other, and minimize personal traffic, especially vehicles that pollute the environment.
This is a strategy within the urban development orientation, not only in Hanoi and Vietnam, but also an urban development orientation globally, the architect emphasized.
Dr. Tran Huy Anh believes that this will contribute to improving and enhancing the quality of life of urban people, thereby creating many new values for the area, including attracting tourists. However, it is also necessary to consider welcoming too many tourists, leading to overload, destroying cultural, historical and traditional spaces.
Sharing the same view, Dr. Ton That Liem - expert in Kien Truc and Urban Planning - Ho Chi Minh City Association of Architects believes that planning and expanding public space around Hoan Kiem Lake will make the view more open and spacious. Thereby, creating conditions for improving the quality of people's living environment, attracting visitors.
Solving the urban planning problem
In the process of urban planning, building squares and parks around Hoan Kiem Lake in particular and other areas of Hanoi in general, considering architectural factors to ensure harmony between new works and old heritages of the city becomes a difficult problem.
To do this, Dr. Tran Huy Anh believes that the city must organize surveys and assess current status of works, and study the impact of newly planned construction works in the future on the area.
For the area around Hoan Kiem Lake, it is necessary to survey and evaluate the material heritages that our ancestors left behind, which have existed for thousands of years around the lake, associated with the historical process of the capital. It is not only possible to dig up to make civil works but also to evaluate the cultural and historical layers of existing works around the lake. That is something that needs to be done proactively right before touching this area, said the architect.
In addition, the architect said that it is necessary to review and re-evaluate the successes and failures in the planning process of Hoan Kiem Lake area, especially in the past 30 years.
He emphasized: We must discover past mistakes to learn from them, to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. If I only occupy myself with finding new things and placing new projects here, I think it is not a cautious, creative and smart enough act when dealing with the key areas of Hanoi today".
Dr. Ton That Liem expressed his opinion: When studying a project, do not just mention it, but study the architectural styles and processes in the area, especially the area with characteristics. We must orient the characteristics of the project towards the general package, not think about a separate project.
At the same time, this urban architect expert believes that it is necessary to assess whether the location of the project is necessary for its existence or not before deciding to allow new projects to be built and exist. Factors to consider include architectural style, vision, harmony with the general landscape space, environment, historical value, culture, society, etc.
