As part of a plan to build a dedicated space to commemorate victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saigon authorities recently demolished several heritage buildings from the 1950s, sparking concerns about the city’s loss of architectural heritage.
Plans to establish a physical space in Hồ Chí Minh City to honor pandemic victims started brewing back in October, with a proposed location based in the vicinity of the Bạch Đằng Wharf at the borders of District 1 and 4, VnEconomy reports.
However, towards the end of the month, it was finalized that the project will be a memorial park based on an unused plot in at 1 Lý Thái Tổ Street in District 10, previously owned by the family of legendary Saigon entrepreneur Hui Bon Hoa.
The triangular plot spans 44,312 square meters, bordering three streets, Lý Thái Tổ, Hùng Vương, and Trần Bình Trọng. It’s currently under the governance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as, after 1975, the villas in the plot were used as accommodations for visiting dignitaries; however, this function stopped years ago, so the land and buildings here have been abandoned since.
The 1 Lý Thái Tổ plot in the 1970s. Photo via VnExpress.
According to the current plan, Sun Group will be in charge of the creation of the COVID-19 victim memorial park, which includes green spaces, a playground, and other amenities for community activities. Many architectural experts and historians have stressed the importance of preserving the Hui Bon Hoa villas, which account for 7,101 square meters of the plot, as historic structures representing local culture from the 1950s.
This made it all the more devastating when news came out that, on November 17, as site clearance commenced, workers started demolishing three out of the seven villas on the plot. Assessment reports from the municipal Department of Construction noted that all seven villas are classified as Group 2, comprising old structures that can be renovated inside while preserving the exterior.
Still, according to Saigon authorities, site inspections showed that villas No. 2, 3, and 4 have significant cracks in their load-bearing structures, in addition to waterlogged concrete and damage caused by moss and molds. Thus, these were earmarked to be destroyed, while villas No. 1, 5, 6, and 7 are still structurally sound and will be kept to be renovated.
Regardless of which villas remain and which are removed, their current state of disrepair — the inevitable consequence of a long time spent in neglect — is yet another piece of evidence of the fraught relationship between Saigon’s quest for development and its corroding heritage.
The plot was the former estate of Hui Bon Hua, a real estate tycoon living in late-19th century Saigon and the owner of numerous buildings across the city. The Hui Bon Hua family was also well-known for their generous spirit, as they donated a plethora of land plots to the city to build hospitals, schools, guild halls. One of their most prominent properties was the family residence at 97 Phó Đức Chính Street, which now houses the HCMC Museum of Fine Arts.
Lý Thái Tổ Street was previously named Hui Bon Hua Boulevard, as a nod from the former government to acknowledge the family’s contributions to the development of the city. In the 1950s, the family built a family compound on the boulevard, comprising eight villas intended to be a place to unwind. The number 8 was chosen due to its auspicious meaning in Hoa Vietnamese beliefs.
Each villa had two stories, designed by French architect Paul Veysseyre, who also designed the Bảo Đại Palace in Đà Lạt, with a blend of eastern and western elements and constructed using imported materials. Even though the influence of Art Deco was present, the villas also incorporated adaptations to fit Vietnam’s tropical climate.
Have a closer look at some of the villas at 1 Lý Thái Tổ via these shots by Saigon-based French photographer Alexandre Garel. He took the images circa 2017–2018, though it is unclear which of the villas depicted were demolished for the memorial park project. More photos are available in his book projects Saigon Portrait of a City and Modernist Architecture in Vietnam.
