At the Satra-Tax Plaza's ground-breaking ceremony on January 29, developers of the project announced the roof of the new skyscraper will house a helipad.
At 165 meters tall, the building – which will stand in place of the city's historic Tax Center – is set to comprise 40 above-ground floors as well as six underground stories, reports VnExpress. Facilities within the building will include a shopping complex, supermarket and entertainment services, as well as underground parking, office space, hotel accommodation and a direct connection to Saigon Metro's Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien line.
While there has been plenty of news surrounding the old elements of the Tax Center and what will be preserved – officials agreed in December 2014 to save some elements of the 92-year-old structure after public calls for preservation – this is some of the first news regarding the Satra-Tax Plaza's more modern accoutrements.
Recently, Saigon Commercial Corporation (Satra), the investor behind the project, promised to save the first three stories of the building's exterior facade as well as large parts of its main lobby, including the original balustrades, bronze handrails and its signature staircase in addition to the incredible Moroccan mosaic decorating its floor.
While this news was a positive step toward the conservation of one of Saigon's most recognized historical buildings, some experts are also concerned about how the preservation work on these pieces will be handled, as Vietnam does not currently have qualified experts to assist in properly conserving such items.
[Photo via Zing]
