Ho Chi Minh City authorities have approved a plan to construct a concert hall worth over US$64.3 million in the Thu Thiem New Urban Area.

The decision was made during an extraordinary general meeting of the municipal People’s Council on Monday.

According to Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, the council’s chairwoman, the concert hall, to be used by the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO), will be a landmark architecture of the century.

The construction was previously proposed by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, designed with two auditoriums that house a total of 1,700 seats.

According to Tran Vuong Thach, artist and director of HBSO, one of the auditorium has 500 seats while the other has 1,200.

Aside from them, there will be an outdoor stage for special occasions, Thach added.

The capital investment was estimated at more than VND1.5 trillion ($64.3 million), which will be funded by the city budget following the auction of a valuable land plot at 23 Le Duan Street in District 1.

It is expected to be built next to the Thu Thiem Parish Church in the Thu Thiem New Urban Area in District 2.

The construction may begin in late 2020 if everything goes according to the plan, said Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sport Huynh Thanh Nhan.

Most delegates expressed their agreement on the project, before underlining that the lessons from the construction of Tran Huu Trang Cai Luong Theater, whose design did not suit practical use, should be taken into serious consideration.

It is important to determine whether the new concert hall will mainly serve as a cultural and social structure or contribute to local tourism development, Vo Thi Ngoc Thuy, a member of the People’s Council remarked.

“What difference will it make given existing locations such as Hoa Binh Theater and Municipal Theater? What special features does it have to attract visitors?" Thuy questioned.

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