Preserving French architecture: Typical works in the heart of heritage cities

Hue is one of the unique heritage cities of Vietnam and Southeast Asia with a rich heritage architecture fund from royal palaces, mausoleums, garden houses, palaces, ancient town architecture...

Among them, French architectural works from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are important pieces in the overall picture of a large urban area, so that Hue can be honored as "a masterpiece of urban architectural poetry."

French architectural works in Hue are mostly concentrated on the southern bank of the Perfume River, with a construction history of up to a hundred years, located in prime locations and being used by agencies, units and organizations.

However, through the development stages, many projects have been "demolished" with regret.

French architectural works have shown the uniqueness of the structure, the richness of architectural types, and decorative art lines, contributing to the value of the heritage city of Hue.

There are some buildings that were previously office buildings that are abandoned and there will be buildings that continue to be redundant in the process of relocating units to centralized administrative areas and streamlining the apparatus.

This reality requires the city to have a comprehensive, multi-faceted assessment of the existing French architectural fund to select and add to the list of typical French architectural works, and to build a legal corridor to protect, exploit, and use them effectively.

The harmonious beauty of Hai Ba Trung High School with French architecture in the heart of the heritage city of Hue. (Photo: Do Truong/VNA)

VNA reporters introduce a series of 3 articles on the topic "Preserving typical French architectural works in the urban space of Hue heritage."

Formed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, French architectural works in Hue are important highlights in the urban appearance of this heritage city.

The unique, modern features of each project blend with the antiquity of Hue Citadel, natural landscape and local culture, contributing to creating a treasure trove of cultural and architectural heritage typical of Hue.

The ancient capital of Hue during the French colonial period was planned and built systematically and scientifically . Each colonial architectural work has a unique style, diverse in type and decorative art.

After more than 100 years of existence, this architecture is still in use, becoming a valuable cultural, historical and aesthetic heritage.

According to researchers, since the end of the 19th century, along with the establishment of French colonial power, the urban appearance of Hue has undergone many important changes. If the area on the northern bank of the Perfume River, the Hue Citadel still plays the role of the center of power of the Nguyen Dynasty; then on the southern bank of the Perfume River, a new urban area gradually formed, often called "French urban space" or "Western Quarter."

Two French-style buildings at 23-25 Le Loi Street along the Huong River have become a space for books and Hue culture. (Photo: Do Truong/VNA)

An urban area bearing the mark of Western architecture with many public, administrative, commercial,educational and villa buildings, reflecting the urban planning and management strategy of the colonial government.

Going back in history, based on the Treaty of Giáp Tuất on March 15, 1874 signed between the Nguyen Dynasty and France, the court ordered the construction of a diplomatic mission south of the Perfume River. This project began construction in April 1876 and was completed in July 1878.

This is considered the first French construction on Le Loi Street - known as the "Western Quarter" in Hue at that time.

The Central Region Apostolic Delegation (La Résidence supérieure L'Annam) located on the campus of Hue University of Education today, was the capital of the colonial regime in Central Vietnam, dominating the activities of the Vietnamese monarchy.

After the Giáp Thân Treaty of 1884 (also known as the Patenotre Treaty signed on June 6, 1884), especially after the fall of the capital city of Huế (1885), France forced the Nguyễn Dynasty to build more structures to meet operational needs.

Many projects have been built, focusing on areas on the southern bank of the Perfume River from Dap Da to Hue station, then continuing to expand along the An Cuu River and the southern area.

Meanwhile, the French almost kept the royal architecture and indigenous architecture in the area on the northern bank of the Perfume River intact, which showed their respect for the overall architecture of the Hue Capital.

Chairman of the Hue City Historical Science Association Phan Tien Dung commented that when designing and constructing, the French architects ensured harmony between nature and architecture, not creating any conflict by establishing a park along the river, roads, flower gardens, and lawns creating cool green landscapes.

The buildings have high foundations, suitable for the climate and weather in Hue, sturdy construction, surrounding corridors, and roof systems extending outward.

With limited height and gradually decreasing towards the riverbank, the construction density is not dense, showing that the planners and designers have respected the values of the ancient urban area.

French architectural works have shown the uniqueness of the structure, the richness of architectural types, and decorative art lines, contributing to the value of the heritage city of Hue.

In addition, Hue at this time also had many villas and monasteries built on some main streets, and villas were also formed in Bach Ma resort.

In Hue, the French colonial architectural fund is not as massive as in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or Da Lat, but it contributed to creating a new appearance for Hue city in the early 20th century, and was the planning and aesthetic support for Hue to spread to the South in the following periods.

French architectural works in Hue have enriched urban life and are important highlights that create the appearance of the cultural city.

Over time, affected by natural disasters and fierce war periods, many French architectural works in Hue are still fortunate to exist today, many of which have become cultural and historical symbols of the city such as: Hue National School, Hue Railway Station, churches, Catholic chapels, hotels...

Phanxico Cathedral is one of the typical French architectural works of Hue city. (Photo: Do Truong/VNA)

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Tung, Faculty of Architecture, Hue University of Sciences, said that French-style architectural works in Hue were built very methodically and followed architectural principles in urban planning.

French colonial buildings in Hue were built in 6 architectural styles including: pre-colonial, classical/neoclassical, French local, Art Deco, Indochina and other architectural styles.

With a rich variety of architectural types and styles, these works not only reflect a typical period of urban history under the French colonial period but also contain important cultural and artistic values. According to many researchers, the works planned and built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries south of the Perfume River demonstrated respect for the overall architecture of the Hue Capital.

In particular, the planning of architect Raoul Desmaretz in 1933 made adjustments to the location, function, aesthetics, and sanitary conditions of the construction systems.

Hai Ba Trung High School is one of the typical French architectural works in Hue city. (Photo: Do Truong/VNA)

“The planning and division of the Huong River into two parts with separate functions is also structured similarly to the Seine River in France, dividing Paris into two areas, one is where cultural, historical and ancient architectural works are concentrated, the other is the administrative, commercial and trading area,” said Phan Tien Dung, Chairman of the Hue City Historical Science Association.

Two architects Nguyen Vu Minh and Nguyen Van Thai, Faculty of Architecture (Hue University of Sciences) commented that French architectural planners have promoted and respected the indigenous elements of Hue urban area.

The new urban spatial structure does not seem to encroach on the Imperial City area, the North-South traffic system is pushed to one side and bypasses this area.

This new spatial composition structure is also established based on the characteristics of Hue's urban spatial terrain, and the fundamental factor contributing to this harmony is the Huong River, which is considered the main axis governing the behaviors in terms of urban structural shaping, creating a harmony between the old and the new.

The landscape of the Perfume River is also a buffer zone for the preservation of the Citadel, palaces, mausoleums, and traditional villages with new urban development based on the development of the Western Quarter. The French colonial urban architecture in Hue has contributed to diversifying the urban heritage space./.