HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - The Ho Chi Minh City Development and Research Institute hasproposed preserving 16 villas built before 1975 because of their historical andcultural importance.
                                  
The villas are located on Hai Ba Trung, Pasteur and Phung Khac Khoan streets inDistrict 1, and Ngo Thoi Nhiem, Vo Van Tan, Cach Mang Thang Tam and Le Quy Donstreets in District 3. 

The institute recently completed a year-long assessment of the preservationstatus of 86 old villas, which are mostly located in districts 1 and 3.However, its classification process is still ongoing.

Last year, the city government officially issued criteria to determine theconservation status of the city’s villas built before 1975. To perform thetask, the institute established a classification committee. 

The villas are being placed in three groups based on their historical andcultural importance. 

HCM City has nearly 900 villas built before 1975, mostly located in districts1, 3, 5 and Thu Duc, which have been recommended for classification by ownersand authorities.

Only 86 villas are currently eligible for classification, while the remaining villashave yet to be assessed and approved by the Department of Planning andArchitecture under current regulations.

Of the 86 classified villas, 16 have been classified as type 1; 49 as type 2(must be preserved); and 17 as type 3 (can be demolished), according to thecommittee.

All the villas in type 1 and 2 categories will be submitted to the city’sPeople’s Committee for approval. If they are approved, they will have tomaintain the external architectural shape, the number of floors, and thebuilding height.

The People’s Committee has asked the institute to submit a report on theassessment of the old structures, and has urged the institute to finish theclassification of remaining old villas by the end of the year.

The People’s Committee has also asked the Department of Construction tostrictly manage and prevent investors of old villas from arbitrarily andillegally demolishing and dismantling them. 

District authorities have also been asked to continue to review and classifythese buildings. 

Owners of many old villas and houses have demolished them to build new houses.Since 1990, over 50 percent of the city’s French villas have been torn down.

Valuable old buildings, mostly built during the French colonial period, includethe HCM City People’s Court (built in 1881), King’s Palace or RevolutionaryMuseum (1885), Majestic Hotel and Notre Dame Cathedral (1887), Saigon PostOffice (1886-1891), HCM City’s People’s Committee (1907), Opera House (1900)and Ben Thanh Market (1912-1914).

Many colonial villas have been renovated and now house schools, restaurants andcoffee shops, most of which are located in District 3 on Tu Xuong, Vo Van Tan,Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Le Quy Don and Tran Quoc Thao streets.

In recent years, more old houses and villas, however, have been demolished orhave fallen into disrepair.

Villas that are museums or state-owned houses got funding to be maintained,according to the People’s Committee. 

However, a large number that are private properties have not been taken care ofproperly. Some of the villas are so dilapidated that they are no longerhabitable./.