New paint at Hanoi Opera House: Not the last color

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(Cinet)- The Hanoi Opera House is being repaired and re-painted after the first restoration 20 years ago. The entire facade of the building has been painted white and yellow, which is different from the original paint. However, it is not the last paint to color the House.

According to Phan Dinh Tan, Head of the Office, speechman of Minsitry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that the Ministry paid attention to select the same paint that was used in 1997.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, director of the Hanoi Opera House, said the theater is being repaired and. the color of the facade will be painted again. The refurbishment has been permitted by the authorities.

However, the Hanoi Department of Culture as well as the Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture both said that they had not yet received the theatre’s application for the repair.

Prof. Hoang Dao Kinh, who was in charge of the first restoration in 1996, commented: “The theatre is outstanding for its noble beauty rather than the bright paint like this. The new color affects the architectural space of this historical monument”.

He said that the Hanoi Opera House was built in 1911 and until 1996-1997 it was repaired for the first time. Although it was not yet recognized a national relic work at that time, the restoration was conducted under the guidance of Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet and the Minister of Culture and Information Nguyen Khoa Diem. Many French experts went to Vietnam to participate in the project.

“Flags of the same bright colour were used to warn of cholera during the French colonial time,” said architect Hoang Dao Kinh. He was head of the board responsible for the Opera House’s first big restoration project between 1994-97.

“The Opera House is a national treasure. We studied the plans and drawings very carefully and we are still here if the current management board needs advice,” he said.

Earlier, Hanoians have criticised the new glaring coat of yellow paint the city’s beloved Opera House has been clad in. The second restoration began in mid-July, including the re-painting of the walls and iron details. To date, the entire facade of the building has been painted white and bright yellow. However, many people, including architects, don’t like the new look.

The Ha Noi Opera House was built in the style of Opera de Paris, better known as Opera Garnier, named after the architect who designed it. In 2011 the Hanoi Opera House was recognized as a national historical and architectural monument. According to Article 34 of the Heritage Law, the preservation, repair and restoration of national monuments must be approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

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