Call for NA building to leave a lasting legacy

Two alternative locations have been proposed for the building, including one near the National Convention Centre to the southwest of Hanoi and another in the West Lake New Town Development to the northwest of the capital city.
Construction Minister Nguyen Hong Quan said the two sites were outside of the Ba Dinh political centre and not convenient for security and safety reasons. The infrastructure in these areas was also not yet adequate and would require extensive, costly and time-consuming investment, he said.
He said the National Assembly’s building should be built on the existing site as the infrastructure was good and it was a continuation of the thousand year history of the capital city.
Bac Son street would be turned into a square in front of the proposed building while the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be converted into offices of the legislative body.
Quan said the project would not affect the protection of historic relics in the nearby areas. The construction of a new National Assembly building needed to be prioritised as the existing building was degrading, he added, but the discovery of important historic relics in the areas surrounding the site have prompted considerable delays. Former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai had approved the plan to build on the existing site but urged a long-term vision for the design.
“The National Assembly building must be representative of the country and its architecture must be beautiful so that it will not look backward in the next generation,” said Khai.
Do Ngoc Quang, a delegate from Bac Ninh province, said the building must endure for the next 100 to 200 years.
“Let us imagine how the National Assembly will work in the next 50 to 100 years. The number of deputies will not stop at 500 but increase up to 1,000. If we do not have a long-term vision, parking could easily become a problem,” said Quang.