Lao Cai's Hoang A Tuong Palace will be restored to its original state, using the same materials, architecture, and interior as the original, and the controversial paint color is just a test color, according to the architect.
In late March, the Hoang A Tuong Palace, which is being renovated, became the subject of controversy when the walls of the stairs leading to the main hall were painted light yellow, white, and pinkish red. Many people commented that the paint color was incompatible with the remaining colors of the building, ruining the ancient look of the monument.
Responding to VnExpress , Mr. Tran Vu, the architect in charge of designing, renovating and embellishing Hoang A Tuong Palace from 2022, said that the current paint color is just a test color, thereby helping him and the design consultant unit (TVTK) to choose the color directly. This is not the color used to paint the entire monument.
The wall of the staircase leading to the main hall was painted a test pink-red color at the end of March. Photo: Huy Trung
Based on black and white documentary photos taken before 2007 (when the site was first restored) and on-site surveys, he found that the walls of the staircase area leading to the main hall and the arches were plastered with dark-colored imitation brick mortar and white mortar joints. The remaining traces or architectural features of the period all showed that the above locations were red brick.
"Mass painting has not been done yet, it is the final step in the construction of the project," he said, adding that a trial painting was needed to find a surface treatment plan suitable for a relic over 100 years old. In addition to painting, the implementing unit also sanded the surface and treated the joints to find the plan closest to the original relic. The architect is confident that the final paint color will be similar to the original relic.
He and the TVTK unit have shown the colors of the project on the design drawings. With caution when renovating and embellishing relics, the investor and the TVTK unit agreed to choose the actual color options.
The wall of the staircase leading to the main hall still has traces of brick joints and red paint from the pre-renovation period of 2006-2007. Photo: Tran Vu
Hoang A Tuong Palace is located in Bac Ha town, Bac Ha district, built in 1914 and completed in 1921. The owner of the house is Mr. Hoang Yen Tchao, the palace is named after his second son who lived with him, Hoang A Tuong. The palace was recognized as a National Architectural and Artistic Relic in 1999. This was the residence of Hoang Yen Tchao's family from 1921 to 1950, abandoned from 1950 to 1980 and from 1980 to 1999 it was used as the People's Committee of Bac Ha district. In the period of 2006-2007, the palace was renovated and repaired.
According to Mr. Vu, when the renovation was completed in 2007, the palace was also criticized for being ugly, but it was not as sensitive as it is now because social media was not popular. After 15 years, the palace became old, the paint color faded, moss appeared, and people began to get used to this "color of time". So this project's restoration has met with public backlash.
"Public opinion shows interest and love for relics, but restoration and embellishment must be based on documents and scientific foundations," he said.
According to Mr. Vu, the 2007 renovation changed the original architectural details. For example, the laurel leaf and flower decoration on the wall was painted green, which is not true to the original relic. Documentary photos of the palace during the time when Hoang Yen Tchao's family lived here are all black and white, however, based on the color correlation, Mr. Vu affirmed that there was no green on the original relic. In addition, the arches were plastered flat even though they were previously fake brick arches. These details were also confirmed through documentary photos before the 2007 renovation.
Hoang A Tuong Palace has gone through many changes, with different purposes of use. Mr. Vu said the basis for restoration will be the period when Hoang Yen Tchao’s family lived here because the value of the relic is linked to the historical time, cultural context and construction technology. The shortcomings in the 2007 renovation will be adjusted.
Mr. Vu said that he and his colleagues searched for documents on similar constructions in terms of construction time, architectural style, and interior design, such as the Duong family house in Can Tho; Huynh Thuy Le house in Dong Thap; Tran Trinh Huy house in Bac Lieu; Le Cong Phuoc house in Can Tho; Vuong Chinh Duc house in Ha Giang, or ancient villages such as Cuu village, Cu Da, Nha Xa, Dong Ngac.
They refer to everything from the details of the floor tiles to the shape and structure of the door latches and furniture. The reference is the practical basis for understanding the relic, providing documents for this restoration process as well as implementing the next projects of Hoang A Tuong Palace.
Mr. Vu believes that the uniqueness of Hoang A Tuong Palace is expressed through the combination of Chinese-style quadrangle floor plan, French colonial-style architectural structure and form with local building materials. Buildings of this period often have white or yellow painted walls, blue painted doors with red exposed bricks (or imitation bricks). And the architecture with classical form always strictly adheres to style and color.
In addition to renovating the architecture of the relic, Mr. Vu said that the front yard of the palace will be expanded to create space for cultural and tourism activities of Bac Ha district. The area of the palace yard will not be as large as the original relic. The tree system of the palace is also focused on preserving, especially the trees from the same period as the relic.
Tu Nguyen
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