MoC orders suspension of construction at historical site in Ba Đình District

The construction site at 61 Trần Phú Street, Ba Đình District, Hà Nội — VNA/VnExpress News Photo Tuấn Đức

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Construction has ordered Hà Nội’s administration to temporarily suspend the construction of a multi-functional building at 61 Trần Phú Street in Ba Đình District, Hà Nội.

The old two-storey buildings, which have already been demolished, were an old factory built by the French in the early 20th century.

The move came on Thursday after the ministry sent a document to the People’s Committee of Hà Nội on reviewing the total ground and architectural plan of the construction of the project.

The document was sent after local media reported that a new building with 11 floors and six basements, with a height of 42.9m, will be constructed at 61 Trần Phú Street to replace the current two-storey buildings.

The media suggested that it needs to review the architectural plan of the new building to protect images of militiamen, defending Hà Nội in the resistance war against the US, on one of the old buildings.

According to the ministry, the old factory has been approved to move out of the central area of the city, following Decision No. 2411/QD-TTg on December 10, 2013.

However, the Ba Đình political centre is believed to be an area with many national values in terms of culture, history and architectural space associated with the country’s history that needs to be preserved. Therefore, any change should be studied and considered carefully, the ministry said.

The ministry told the Hà Nội administration to review the criteria of planning and architecture of the construction to ensure compliance with regulations, as well as matching with the space, architecture and landscape of the Ba Đình political centre.

The Hà Nội administration is required to take in comments from the media to find appropriate solutions. The solutions must be fully published, ensuring transparency, the ministry said.

In a related movement, Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Đinh Tiến Dũng called for the capital’s People’s Committee, as well as departments and sectors, on Wednesday to urgently order the investor to temporarily suspend the construction at 61 Trần Phú Street.

Dũng also demanded an inspection of the construction’s implementation process and procedures. Results of the inspection must be reported to the Standing Committee of the Hà Nội Party Committee before April 8, 2022.

Architecture department’s explanation

Nguyễn Trọng Kỳ Anh, deputy head of the city’s Department of Planning and Architecture, said the land at 61 Trần Phú is managed by Post and Telecommunication Equipment Factory JSC.

The land has a total area of 9,078 sq.m, consisting of 1,555 sq.m located within the red line where building works are not allowed, and 7,523 sq.m located outside the red line that can be used for offices with a land lease period of 50 years from November 15, 2004, he said.

On the land, there are two-storey buildings that were formerly the headquarters and factory of the company, he said.

The old buildings do not belong to the list of “Architectural works built before 1954 that need focused resources to preserve and promote cultural values”. The list was issued together with the Resolution No. 24/2013/NQ-HĐND of the People’s Council of Hà Nội, he said.

At first, the company planned to build a hi-tech, research and development centre. However, the company then decided to contribute capital with a real estate partner to build a multi-functional building. The project has a total investment of VNĐ1.57 trillion (US$68.8 million).

The Construction Management Department, under the construction ministry, has verified the basic design of the construction under Document No. 1159/HĐXD-QLDA on December 8, 2017, and the technical design of the construction’s underground part under Document No. 07 /HĐXD-QLTK dated January 6, 2020, he said.

Besides, the city’s Department of Construction already granted the construction permit No. 83/GPXD for the underground part of the construction on December 8, 2020.

Therefore, the architecture department said that the relocation of the factory out of the central area is following the orientation approved in Decision No. 2411/QD-TTg on December 10, 2013. It was also reviewed and approved by the authorised agencies, he said.

The scale of the building will comply with the approved planning, similar to the work of the National Assembly’s House built on the opposite land, so as not to affect the architectural space and landscape of Ba Đình political centre, he said. — VnExpress News