Located on the grounds of the old NA House and inside the campus of the Thang Long Royal Citadel, the new NA House and the new Ba Dinh Hall have been built on Doc Lap (Independence) street. Opposite to the House is Ba Dinh Square, where President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence to establish the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam - the first ever people’s democratic State in Southeast Asia.
Construction of the building officially started on October 12, 2009, however the project actually launched years ago. After a lengthy time collecting the opinions of experts and the general population, an appropriate architectural design was finally chosen.
During his recent inspection of the progress of the Parliament House and new Ba Dinh Hall project, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said since the country's reunification, this is the first time Vietnam has such a modern and large-scale State office building complex. The new NA House is not only scheduled to host sessions of the NA and the NA Standing Committee, but is also a venue to organise major celebrations for the country as well as welcome international high ranking delegations of the Party and State, he added.
From the outside, the building is designed in a square architectural shape. The 39m-high NA House includes five floors and two basement floors, totaling over 60,000 m2, with a total investment of over VND5.5 trillion.
There are over 80 meeting rooms, with 1,000 km of power line and a host of modern equipment. The 600 seat main hall has a circular structure, and is supported by a column bearing system. Crystal chandeliers weighing up to five tonnes will be installed along with seamless ceiling lights in the Parliament House.
In addition to the House of Parliament, the project has other notable features including a 3-level underground parking lot, with an occupancy of over 500 cars on a 17,000 sq.m area. The tunnel connecting the House and the campus of Ministry of Foreign Affairs is 60 meter long. There are also two separate lanes for pedestrians and cars.
The Press Centre is also a highlight of the NA House. The 300 seat centre located on the second basement floors is fitted with modern audio and video devices.
After five years of construction, the new Vietnam National Assembly House is finishing its last steps. The complex is expect to meet all requirements set forth by the NA in design and quality, represents the will and aspiration of the people, and become a symbol of the country during its new period of development, said Do Thieu Quang, deputy director of the management unit for the NA’s House and new Ba Dinh Hall construction project.
Source: Vietnam+/Translated by Nhan Dan Online