As Hanoi considers a major redesign around Hoan Kiem Lake, a prominent architect is urging restraint, warning that monumental new structures could overwhelm one of Vietnam’s most symbolic spaces.
Not every value needs to be turned into a physical structure, according to Hanoi architect Tran Huy Anh. Some “monuments,” he argues, do not need to stand dozens of meters tall, be cast in bronze or covered in gold because they already exist in people’s hearts and collective memory.
Hoan Kiem Lake is more than an urban space
Authorities in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem and Cua Nam wards are seeking public feedback on proposed adjustments to the zoning plan for Hoan Kiem Lake and its surrounding area.
Under the overall concept, the area around Hoan Kiem Lake, also widely known as Sword Lake, would be organized as a large symbolic square for the Vietnamese capital. It would connect with August Revolution Square and the Hanoi Opera House to form a major historical, cultural and artistic complex.
A rendering of the proposed planning for Hoan Kiem Lake and its surrounding area in Hanoi. Photo: Hanoi People’s Committee.
The planning study covers approximately 65.89 hectares. Notably, the proposal calls for expanding connected public spaces around the lake, particularly to the north and east.
To the north, Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square would be expanded, with the plan also envisioning a symbolic “triumphal arch.”
The study forms part of Hanoi’s broader master planning vision for the next 100 years.
Speaking to VietNamNet, architect Tran Huy Anh, a standing committee member of the Hanoi Architects Association, said the challenge was particularly complex because Hoan Kiem Lake is far more than simply an urban space.
Hanoi, he said, is the heart of Vietnam, while Hoan Kiem Lake is the heart of Hanoi, a place where the spirit of the country’s thousand-year history has settled.
For Anh, the central question in the planning process is not simply how many meters a square should be expanded or what new structures should be built. Rather, it is how to create a space that reflects “the character and inner spirit of the Vietnamese people.”
“Hoan Kiem Lake brings together all the physical elements needed to create a space that gives people a sense of peace - from the water and landscape to historical, religious and spiritual structures, as well as the architectural diversity and coexistence of different periods,” Anh said.
“When the physical space changes, people’s psychological space and perceptions also change. We have to think about what dreams and aspirations we want to place there.”
For the architect, the lake itself holds a special value that new structures would find difficult to replicate.
“Water is timeless. Its surface reflects the thousand-year history of Thang Long, Dong Do and Hanoi, while beneath it lie countless legends stretching back even further into the distant past,” Anh said, referring to historical names associated with the Vietnamese capital.
Hoan Kiem Lake’s significance also comes from the presence of modest structures that embody profound ideas and aspirations, he said.
Anh cited the Pen Tower, inscribed with the three Chinese characters ta thanh thien, meaning “writing on the blue sky,” as a proud expression of the Vietnamese spirit and of the legendary national ancestry of the Dragon Lord and Fairy.
Architect Tran Huy Anh, a standing committee member of the Hanoi Architects Association. Photo: Quang Dan.
Ngoc Son Temple is a place where generations have come at sacred moments to pray for peace and prosperity for the country and its people.
Ba Kieu Temple, meanwhile, is more than an ordinary place of worship, Anh said. Through the Vietnamese Mother Goddess belief system, or Dao Mau, it represents a philosophy of living in harmony with and expressing gratitude toward nature and the universe.
North of Hoan Kiem Lake lies Hanoi’s centuries-old Old Quarter. Its traditional 36 streets represent a distinctive Vietnamese and East Asian urban form that Western planners themselves chose to preserve, creating what Anh described as an intriguing “East-West dialogue” as the historic commercial city evolved into a modern metropolis.
To the east are several modern civic buildings dating from the 20th century, including the Post Office building and the headquarters of the Hanoi People’s Committee.
The area also includes the Hanoi Children’s Palace, which Anh described as a symbol of younger generations’ gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh, the Communist Party and the Vietnamese people.
“Hoan Kiem Lake itself is the breathing space and the connection between different realms - those of a thousand years ago, a hundred years ago, and the modern city looking toward the future,” Anh said.
According to the architect, these layers of time do not exist separately. They depend on and complement one another, together forming the identity of Hoan Kiem Lake.
Any discussion about what should be added, removed or altered around the lake therefore cannot be approached solely from the perspective of architecture or construction, he said.
Anh described Hanoi as both an enduring and ever-changing city. Studying adjustments to the Hoan Kiem Lake area is necessary, he said, as the capital develops new infrastructure, including its metro network and underground facilities.
“Hoan Kiem Lake is ready to adapt to change, but how do we make those changes while preserving its timeless core values?” he asked.
In practice, public space around the lake has already been gradually expanded. Some areas have been cleared, creating opportunities to reorganize the surrounding space.
Before deciding to add a new structure or remove an existing element, however, Anh said planners need to clearly distinguish between the different components that make up Hoan Kiem Lake.
“Some values are virtually immutable. Some structures can be renewed. If something must be replaced, the principle should be that the new is more beautiful and better,” he said. “But replacement does not mean excluding everything else, particularly the values that constitute the soul and character of a nationally recognized historical and cultural space that needs to be protected.”
Don’t turn Hoan Kiem Lake into a showcase for monuments
Hoan Kiem Lake already embodies layers of historical, cultural and spiritual value, architect Tran Huy Anh says. Photo: Thach Thao.
On the question of constructing new symbolic landmarks, Anh argued that a symbol does not necessarily have to take the form of a monumental physical structure.
He cited the lake’s famous giant turtle, affectionately known to generations of Hanoi residents as “Cu Rua,” or Great-Grandfather Turtle.
“When ‘Cu Rua’ died, that did not mean we necessarily needed to build a statue of it,” Anh said. “Everyone understands that ‘Cu Rua’ once lived here.”
Some monuments and symbols, he argued, exist in people’s minds and memories and do not need to be physically imposing, cast in bronze or covered in gold.
A place should not automatically be considered more magnificent simply because it contains more large structures, he said.
“Don’t cram everything into such a small space, because Hoan Kiem Lake already contains so many values,” Anh said.
He also cautioned that planning should ensure the lake - a place where, in his words, the spirit of the country has settled - is not disturbed, made overly busy or excessively modernized.
Another key issue, Anh said, is that planning for Hoan Kiem Lake needs to be considered within the broader development of Hanoi.
“Hoan Kiem Lake cannot be separated from the capital’s overall planning,” he said. “As we plan the Hoan Kiem Lake area, we are also planning the Red River landscape, a vastly larger space, along with many other areas that will be expanded.”
Future Hanoi will have spaces large enough to accommodate structures of national and international scale, he said. Monumental projects could therefore be located in more appropriate settings rather than being concentrated around Hoan Kiem Lake.
What needs to be preserved, Anh stressed, is not a Hoan Kiem Lake frozen in time but a balance that has evolved over centuries.
“The space is not very large, yet it contains the character and aspirations of the nation and the Vietnamese people,” he said. “These spaces have existed in harmony, supporting and accommodating one another and remaining stable through history and in people’s consciousness. That balance needs to be preserved. It is a line that must not be crossed.”
The future of the Hoan Kiem Lake area needs continued and broad discussion involving both experts and the public.
The debate is about more than a square, a new structure or a planning document. It is also about how Hanoi chooses to enter its next 100 years without losing the memory of the more than 1,000 years that came before.
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