Diverse opinions about the symphony house in Thu Thiem

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Council has just approved the policy of building a Symphony, Music and Ballet Theater worth more than 1,500 billion VND in the Thu Thiem New Urban Area (District 2).

Regarding the information about the location of the theater, architect Hoang Dao Kinh - who chaired the Hanoi Opera House restoration council in the 1990s, said that the theater should be built in the center of the city because "it is the face and pride of a modern, civilized city".

"The theater is not the cultural center of the district but must be majestic, becoming the pride of urban architecture. It needs to be located in a prime location. Thu Thiem, although a new urban gold land, is not the traditional central area of ​​Ho Chi Minh City," Mr. Kinh commented.

He used the Hanoi Opera House as an example for comparison and said that the location of this building is still not outdated when it is located in the traditional central area of ​​the capital, becoming one of the symbols of Hanoi.i.

Mr. Pham Sy Liem, former Deputy Minister of Construction, assessed that to build a symphony and ballet theater that meets international standards requires a huge investment of money.“1,500 billion VND to build a symphony house is not worth anything, it is not even enough. That is what I am talking about in general about construction, but with the budget of Ho Chi Minh City which has to prioritize many other tasks, I think it is a lot,” said Mr. Liem.

Considering that theaters are important social infrastructure, like schools and hospitals, according to Mr. Liem, the construction of a large theater in Ho Chi Minh City is necessary in the future. The project can become a new symbol for the city of more than 10 million people. When deciding to build a large theater, including auxiliary works on a large area, the city must plan the location many years in advance.

“Thu Thiem planning is a big deal, land issues will be resolved sooner or later. For Ho Chi Minh City and Thu Thiem to develop, many infrastructure projects need to be prioritized, at this time, spending money on investing in roads and bridges is the most useful,” said Mr. Liem.

According to him, theaters in Ho Chi Minh City are currently small in scale but still suitable for the needs of people enjoying music.“The Hanoi Opera House or the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House are not always red-lit. If each week, the theater regularly organizes one or two symphony concerts with full seats, then it is not too late to consider making the theater bigger,” said Mr. Liem.

Mr. Le Nhu Tien, former Vice Chairman of the Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children, agreed with the policy of building a theater in Ho Chi Minh City to develop culture.However, construction at this time “should be reconsidered”. Ho Chi Minh City is facing a series of problems that need to be solved in urban development, including the planning of Thu Thiem, where the symphony theater will be located.

“What do most people in the city need most right now? Do they need a grand theater, or do they need clear roads, less overloaded hospitals, and better education? I think now is not the time to build a theater with such a huge amount of money,” said Mr. Tien.

According to Mr. Tien, "city leaders said the theater is needed for the people, to serve the people, we should ask for their opinions first; whatever the people think is most important, we will do."

Having overseen the cultural sector of the National Assembly for many years, Mr. Tien believes that the goal of serving the development of the cultural life of urban residents is not only the theater but also many other factors such as stadiums, parks, libraries, etc.

“People’s demand for music is very diverse. Typical music of the Southern region is reformed opera, Southern folk songs, and opera... The city can survey people’s opinions on what kind of music they like and what kind of theaters they like,” Mr. Tien suggested..

Writer Nguyen Ngoc Tien - who has many research works on culture including the Hanoi Opera House, agrees with the construction of Thu Thiem Theater.

"People have the right to sit in luxurious theaters and enjoy culture. It's true that we need to build roads, hospitals, bridges to solve flooding and traffic jams... But if we don't do culture, don't build large cultural works, will future generations have meaningful works like the Hanoi Opera House?", Mr. Tien analyzed.

The writer believes that the theater is not only an architectural work but also a place to perform major art programs. When there are major art programs, the artistic aesthetics of the people will be gradually raised, creating a cultural spread..

On October 8, at the 10th session (extraordinary meeting), the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council approved the investment project to build a Symphony, Music and Ballet Theater in Thu Thiem Urban Area (District 2). The project has a total investment of 1,508 billion VND from the proceeds from the auction of the land plot at 23 Le Duan (District 1). The theater has a capacity of 1,700 seats, including two large and small auditoriums, to be implemented in the period 2018-2022.

Bao Ha - Tat Dinh