The SaiGon Tax Trade Centre, built in 1880, with a total floor area of 15,000 square metres, is history. It has closed. Having survived the French, the Americans and the Reunification Government it is succumbing to the demolition cranes.
Facing the Rex Hotel, across Le Loi Street, it will be replaced with yet another high-rise, this one a 40-storey behemoth that will be totally disproportionate to the surrounding buildings.
500 square metres of the centre's gross floor area will be handed over to the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board for building the ventilation structures of the SaiGon Metro Station, one of 14 stations on the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line. Le Loi has already been dissected by earthworks between Nguyen Hue and Pasteur.
The line run from Quan 1 through Quan Binh Thanh, Quan 2, Quan 9 and Quan Thu Duc terminating in Di An Town in neighbouring Binh Duong Province. It is estimated to cost USD$2.49 billion. The subway line, which will be 19.7km long, is the first-ever in VietNam.
The management board of Saigon Tax Centre offered to store vendors property in their warehouses. The Board told traders that they could consider relocating to the Satra Mart supermarkets in Quan 8 and Quan10. The two markets, along with the Saigon Tax Centre, are all managed by state-run Saigon Trading Group. “We know we could not find any customers at such locations,” Hoang, a former souvenir vendor at Saigon Tax Centre, said.
Vendors said their products, mostly handicrafts and souvenirs, can only find buyers in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, where Foreigners are concentrated.
While there are numerous spaces available at other trade centres in Quan 1, the city's downtown, traders said they are leased at business killing prices.
Some traders said they cannot afford the US$50-70 a square metre rate offered by Vincom, the 'luxury' shopping centre ten minutes' walk from Saigon Tax. Lucky Plaza, another new trade centre nearby on Nguyen Hue, asks for $250 per square metre, according to traders!
You have to wonder if city planners ever consider preservation of historic buildings. Anyone who has been to the Tax Department further along Nguyen Hue will know they can do it, if they want to. Here they preserved the old building and constructed a high-rise in the rear.
Going, going, gone! Old SaiGon is being knocked down, again
And the steady removal of large trees on the streets and lanes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jScv9v3r5g
The price paid for a 'modern,energetic city' is the city's history and character.
circa. 1966
So in 20 years all cities will look the same.
Est. 2024
The hot news is that they are going to cut down over 100 big trees in Ton Duc Thang street. I wonder how HCM will be in 20 years. Maybe like singapore. People will feel so bored at weekend and have to fly to Thailand, HongKong for entertainment.
Charner Trade Centre (later Saigon Tax Trade Centre) in 1926
'Exciting' Future Saigon Tax Trade Centre by Apartment-Canho
Jaitch wrote:[img align=c]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6084/6129406446_d0dc453bf4.jpg[/url]
'Exciting' Future Saigon Tax Trade Centre by Apartment-Canho
Really? How can they build up apartment everywhere?
Interesting article:
U.S. firm picked to design new Saigon Tax Trade Center
"The HCMC government has assigned Satra to develop a multi-functional 40-floor building providing trading, office and hotel services at the premises of the old Saigon Tax Trade Center. The outline of the new building will be drawn in harmony with the city's architecture and space zoning plan for 930 hectares in the downtown area.
Minh said the design of the project will be made in two phases. The U.S. firm will complete the design of the new building by the end of next month in the first phase for Satra to submit it to competent agencies for consideration and comments in the second phase."
Finland proposes Tax Center preservation
* The Consulate General of Finland in HCMC has written to the city government and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism suggesting preserving part of the Saigon Tax Trade Center.
The shopping center will be dismantled soon to make room for a new 40-storey modern commercial tower.
The consulate suggested that the main lobby, the mosaic tiled floor and the main stair of the center should be maintained to integrate into the new building.
The developer should also consider removing some parts of the main stairway and lobby and installing them back at a new facility later.
In its letter, the Finnish consulate said it is also entrusted by the French Consulate General and the consul delegation in HCMC, and promised to arrange manpower and budget for the second solution.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/societ … enter.html
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