The People's Committee of Tay Ho is collecting opinions on a proposed project that would see an opera house to rival the one in Sydney built on Dam Tri Lake in Quang An Ward, Ha Noi, as part of wider development plans for the area.
An artistic impression of the floating opera house on Dam Tri Lake in Tay Ho District, Ha Noi. Photo courtesy of the Tay Ho People's Committee
The plan for the Quang An peninsular covers 77ha across Quang An and Tu Lien wards. Of this area, the entertainment area will cover around 45ha with plans for recreation areas, a park, a spiritual zone and, of course, the opera house, which would cover around 13,000sq.m.
This project is expected to be publically funded and under the strict control of the Ha Noi authority during the design, construction and operation process.
The opera house would implement modern architecture techniques and be a platform for the best Vietnamese art performances, as well as become a new cultural symbol, attracting visitors to the capital city.
Its dome, inspired by the waves of West Lake, would be integrated with a thin shell structure and covered with a layer of pearl-like material to create the effect of changing colour according to the natural light. This would cause the theatre to shine brightly every sunset.
The idea is the brainchild of Italian architect, Renzo Piano, who has overseen projects like The Shard in London and Parliament House in Valletta, Malta. According to the architect, the construction of the opera house could be likened to creating 'music island' amid the romantic West Lake scenery.
The theatre would include an auditorium of 1,822 seats, and could also host large-scale cultural and arts events in other multi-purpose auditoriums with 1,000-2,000 seats.
Also inside the theatre, a series of function rooms, such as an art practice room and a library, would be located on the ground floor. A museum and a small restaurant with panoramic views of West Lake will be arranged on the high floors.
Outside the building, public spaces would include exhibition halls and food courts stretching along the main traffic axis and ending at the central square near the lake's edge.
According to Nguyen Le Hoang, vice chairman of Tay Ho District’s People's Committee, the district has just created a 1/500 scale model and is collecting opinions from the community, all of which will be submitted to the Ha Noi Department of Planning and Architecture for appraisal.
Four posters have been hung around Quang An and there will be a conference to collect the opinions of the residential community directly affected by the project in late July.
After that, the Ha Noi Department of Planning and Architecture will report to the Ha Noi People's Committee. The next steps will be conducted upon the approval of the city authority.
"All works, when implemented, will not affect the existing water surface in West Lake and will absolutely ensure the environmental landscape,” he stressed.