New square - does capacity make attraction?

Expanded public spaces and additional urban amenities mean that more people will flock to them during festive occasions. Will Hoan Kiem Lake still retain its unique, deep, tranquil appearance that it has had for hundreds of years?

Frankly speaking, the appearance of public spaces has never been Hanoi 's strong point. In crowded areas, especially around Hoan Kiem Lake and near the Old Quarter, many public spaces such as flower gardens - squares - roundabouts... which should have become beautiful highlights, attracting tourists as well as the capital's residents to come and enjoy, have become "eye-catching" spots because of their unaesthetic decoration.

Typically, the square in front of the Hanoi Opera House and the Friendship Cultural Palace - a place that attracts art lovers, has been surrounded by a roundabout with an ugly design for many years, used as a place to promote a business's brand. The facades facing Hoan Kiem Lake are decorated with gaudy fake flowers, covered with dust. Or in recent years, Hoan Kiem Lake has occasionally been "surrounded" by stalls selling regional agricultural products.

August Revolution Square in front of Hanoi Opera House with an "out of tune" highlight at the roundabout

Photo: TL

"Socialization", if not by the cooperation of tasteful sponsors, is nothing more than an effort that does more harm than good, "love each other like that is worth ten harms each other".

Good "flexibility", weak "residence"

Looking at the new appearance of Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, which has just been renovated and embellished on the surface, Architect Le Quang (from Germany) commented: "In the context of the 36 streets area - one of the most densely populated urban spaces in the world - the appearance of a new empty space at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, after the demolition of the Shark's Jaw building, clearly opens up many potentials. This space can become an important public highlight, both adding breathing space to the urban area and reshaping the landscape, visual connections and human flow around Hoan Kiem Lake. It is not only useful in terms of function, but also has the ability to rekindle the symbolic role of the square in contemporary urban life".

However, the renovation and beautification efforts just completed in phase 1 - according to him - have only created a "new normal" for this area. There are many other factors that need to be taken into account to create a standard square space from an architectural perspective. "Details such as LED screens or mobile planters are not the main issue, but are just ways to try to establish visual anchor points and create temporary perimeters in the context of the absence of a "border" block like a real square. The core problem lies in the enclosing ratio: currently they are too weak, making the space difficult to "read", said architect Le Quang.

"The current square has a good expression of "flexibility", but the "residence" is very weak. That means: it is good for organizing periodic events such as rallies, ceremonial celebrations, but too empty for regular events - which is the most important role of this area. Regular events for the public need "spatial adhesion". This force is often created by shops, steps, awnings..., when the activities of stopping - sitting - interacting are pushed back, the radial flow will prevail. That means we can have a large space, but cannot keep people", Architect Le Quang analyzed.

More is more fun?

Besides the joy and emotion of the capital's changing appearance, especially the To Lich River renovation project that has been initiated, Ms. Vu Thi Tuyet Nhung, a Hanoi culture researcher and also a resident of the Old Quarter, shared her concerns about the consistency in planning. "Unlike the renovation of To Lich River, the renovation of the square and flower garden around Hoan Kiem Lake and adjacent to the Old Quarter requires a much more coordinated and sophisticated effort. No matter how beautiful the flower garden square is, if when entering the nearby Old Quarter, you see food and drinks sold everywhere on the street, with all kinds of mixed smells: shrimp paste, grilled meat, fish fat, pickled onions... flying out indiscriminately, along with the black sewers full of wastewater... it cannot bring a pleasant and complete experience to residents and tourists when passing through this area. In fact, from loving the Old Quarter, many residents and tourists have now gradually switched to the mentality of "fearing the Old Quarter", including long-time residents...".

Perspective of the square - park project east of Hoan Kiem Lake, phase 1, expected to start construction before October 10

Source: National Planning Fanpage

The Hanoi cultural researcher also expressed concern about the Hoan Kiem Lake area after being renovated and expanded by renovating and building new flower gardens and squares... whether it will lose the beauty of "calming the soul of mountains and rivers" which is the soul of this core area. "It is true that the streets surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake are now pedestrian streets on the weekends and may be added on weekdays, and may even ban gasoline vehicles... but the expanded public space and more urban amenities also mean that it will attract more people during big festivals - which will certainly be held more often in large outdoor stages. Will Hoan Kiem Lake then still retain its unique, deep, quiet appearance that has been there for hundreds of years?", said Ms. Nhung.

"People go to Hoan Kiem Lake to see the Turtle Tower, the Barringtonia acutangula trees with leaves, the branches of royal poincianas and Lagerstroemia trees reflecting on the lake's surface, the flocks of birds that have suddenly returned in recent years..., to breathe and listen to Hoan Kiem Lake breathe; not to watch the water music or listen to the loud speakers like in new urban areas or the giant LED screens that "never sleep" day and night like in New York's Times Square...", she pondered.

To create a square that balances utility, functionality and preserves the beauty of its soul is always a difficult problem for planners! ( continued )

A square needs to clearly define its perimeter through its axis and the proportion of blocks at the edge, so that users can feel the pressure of space and thus feel comfortable in exercising their freedom. I expect that phase 2, with three basements and related items, will more thoroughly solve this problem in the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc square area.

Architect Le Quang (Germany)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/quang-truong-moi-suc-chua-co-lam-nen-suc-hut-185250924230737892.htm