Born on, and spending his early years with his family on Hang Ngang Street in Hanoi, architect nbsp;Mai The Nguyen, a Vietnamese Norwegian, is very concerned about the old architecture of Hanoi, a place he spent 50 years away from.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;

Deeply attached to Hanoi architecture

For Mai The Nguyen, the typical architecture of Hanoi is clearly seen in the Old Quarter, a long-standing area that has been closely attached to the life as well as activities of the city-dwellers. When the French governed Indochina, they built a more modern area close to the Old Quarter, preserving the beautiful architectural works and living spaces imbued with the sentiment of Hanoians.

Today Mai The Nguyen is worried that the traditional architectural space of Hanoi is at risk of being replaced by high rise buildings which have been mushrooming up in the area. He believes it is necessary to find a suitable development direction for Hanoi that does not force the existing typical architectural features of Hanoi to disappear. There must be a fusion of the living style of Hanoians and Hanoi architecture because the architectural style of Hanoi has contributed to creating the culture of Hanoians.

He added that planning Hanoi, the capital of a country having an age-old history, is not simple, which to be successful needs joint efforts from all people, including architects, city planners, politicians, psychologists, sociologists and the regular citizens of the city.

Regarding the durability of Hanoi architecture, Mai The Nguyen said that talented people and the proper materials could create a beautiful and modern city, but to preserve the city it needs a modernized living style that would take generations to complete. To successfully plan the City, the Vietnamese people must learn about the successes from other countries and change it to be suitable to the habits and customs of Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular.

Present to the 1,000-year-old city

Mai The Nguyen nurtured a dream to compile a notebook about Hanoi architecture as a present to foreign tourists coming to Hanoi on the occasion of the 1,000^th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi . His dream became reality when he published “ Hanoi architecture – An informal notebook of a jumble city” after spending a long time researching, selecting photos and designing. The word “jumble” should be understood that it is the typical and distinctive feature of Hanoi architecture.

The book consists of 120 pages illustrating Hanoi architecture in every district, such as Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, Dong Da, Tay Ho, etc., and the Old Quarter. The photos in the notebook were selected under the criteria of not being the most beautiful, but having the most historical value, helping both domestic and foreign readers become familiar with the history as well as typical cultural features of Hanoi.

The notebook looks at the area of Giang Vo residential quarter, where Mai The Nguyen is living in Hanoi . It is not an excellent architectural work but it is typical of the subsidized period so it is part of the cultural conscientiousness of a generation of Hanoians. Also, the One-Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi Opera House, Thuy Ta House and President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum are important places mentioned.

Via the notebook, Mai The Nguyen hopes to reveal and help foreign visitors perceive the charming soul of Hanoi both in terms of tangible and intangible aspects, from housing, parks, lakes to language, communicating style and their wardrobe.

Story: Long Nguyen

Photos: An Thanh Dat – Tat Sonnbsp;