Hanoians will soon see a new hotel overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake, and not everyone is happy about it.
Municipal authorities in the capital recently approved a proposal by Intimex to build a hotel overlooking the famous lake, reports Tuoi Tre. However some experts oppose the project, saying it will compromise the “harmony of the surrounding architecture”, the news outlet writes.
The hotel is slated for construction at 22-32 Le Thai To and will face the waterfront. In order to keep the project on schedule, city officials are pushing Intimex to complete its investment and begin work on the hotel by September.
For its part, the Vietnam Association of Architects (VAA) took issue with the hotel’s architectural styles, saying in a petition that they were "complex but monotonous, and create an out of place impression".
Architect Pham Thanh Tung pointed out two main issues with the multi-story project. First, the taller building will stand out from low-lying structures in the surrounding area. Second, as Hanoian authorities hope to transform Hoan Kiem’s surrounding streets into pedestrian walkways, Tung argues, traffic to the hotel will create congestion around the lake.
[Photo via Lao Dong]
