Hà Nội administration has yet to approve the project to construct a hotel at No 22-32 Lê Thái Tổ Street, near Hoàn Kiếm (Sword) Lake. — Photo vietnamnet.vn

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội administration has yet to approve the project to construct a hotel at No 22-32 Lê Thái Tổ Street, near Hoàn Kiếm (Sword) Lake.

The city administration is still collecting the opinions of relevant ministries and sectors before making its decision, head of the city’s Planning and Architect Department Lê Vinh said at the question-and-answer session of the capital People’s Council, held on Tuesday.

The response was given after deputy Nguyễn Hoài Nam, head of the council’s Legislation Committee, asked whether the city administration has approved the project or not.

Nam also said the lake was a national historical site; therefore, the city should be cautious before approving any hotel projects near the lake.

“We should not spend a lot of money destroying what we built, and then spend a lot of money to build what we destroyed,” he said.

In response to Nam’s question, Vinh said the city had planned the area around Sword Lake to be conserved. The planning report was sent to the capital People’s Committee after gathering the comments of experts, local people and relevant agencies.

In early July, local media reported that the city had basically approved a project to build a new hotel in September at 22-32 Lê Thái Tổ Street, former home of the two-storey Intimex supermarket. Although the city already asked the project owner to strictly obey all regulations on landscape planning and conservation around the lake, the news still caused public concern and raised eyebrows amongst architects.

Phạm Thanh Tùng, chief of Việt Nam Association of Architects’ Office, said the architecture of the hotel was required to be very harmonious with the overall landscape around the lake.

Currently, all buildings around the lake were small, so if construction is approved, the hotel could not be big and tall, he said.

Hoàn Kiếm Lake, according to the legend, is where Lê Lợi (King Lê Thái Tổ) returned his magic sword to the Golden Turtle in the early 15^th century, and is a national historical site. — VNS