10. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
The Imperial City resides in the North Bank of Perfume River which composed of largely
residential and domestic commercial activities. On the opposite bank, the South Bank
which was historically the French settlements house many institutional and governmental
facilities. Most of the tourists facilities such as hotel, internet café etc. are also located on
this bank. As a general view of the urban fabric of Hue, it is not as built up as compared
to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. Many of the developments are rather old and are mostly 5
storeys and below.DONG- BA MARKET
On the right end of the North Bank (refer to map above) is the Dong Ba Market where you
will find a high concentration of activities. The market comes to life early in the morning,
then slow down in the afternoon heat before resuming its bustle in the evening and closes
at night. It serves the local population primarily and is a popular destination for tourist to
experience the local lifestyle.
RIVER BANK
From an overview of the development along the 2 banks, we notice that most of the
developments are streets oriented. We understand that it is because accessibility via key
transport routes plays a large part in the historical development of the area. We also
noticed several large open spaces along the two banks which serve no particular function.
The North Bank has an almost continuous river promenade while in the South Bank, some
parts of the River bank are ‘ privatized promenades “ belonging to the hotel developments.
Landuse Pattern
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
11. North Bank
• In the South Bank, certain parts of the river promenades
have already been paved. However, this happens at random
stretches and they do not join together.
• Part of the river promenades are also privatized as they
belong to the hotels/ resorts located along the banks while
some are the back yard of other buildings which does not
provide the conducive setting to enjoy a walk down the river
bank. However, in this arrangement, the maintenance of the
bank will be the responsibility by the owners.
• Exclusivity of the river bank should not be encouraged as it
destroys the potential for a public space and also breaks the
continuity of the river promenade.
•In the North Bank, there are long stretches of green under
utilized at the moment. Though a portion of it has been
landscaped, few people use the park space in the day and it is
almost deserted in the night.
•The entire stretch of the bank runs more than 1.5km. This is
simply too long to encourage anyone from moving along the
bank unless there is purpose in doing so. The lack of inter-nodal
points along the bank to encourage activity and movement
should be address.
•There is no anchor activity on both ends of the bank to serve as
a node and to create a flux of movement along the entire stretch
of the bank.
• The scale of river restricts any interaction across opposite banks.
It is both a sound barrier as well as sight barrier. Whatever happens
on the North Bank will not induce similar developments in the
corresponding South Bank.
• There will be a one- dimensional expansion of activity along the bank.
• This is a weakness as well as a potential. The two banks can be
developed into banks with very different characters and functions
but yet complimentary to one another.
South Bank : Analysis
DEGREE OF ACCESSIBILITY
Public Accessibility
Highly Accessible
Highly Inaccessible
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
12. ACTIVITY CONCENTRATION (DAY)
North Bank
• High concentration of activity occurs around Dong Ba Market.
• Tourist activities are more dominant along the routes leading to the Citadel.
• Institutional facilities upstream bustles with activities in their daily operations.
South Bank
• Downstream, the main activities are generated by tourists in the Duong Hung area.
• Riverfronts on both banks remains rather quiet.
Analysis
• River is too wide to encourage cross relationships of both banks. This however encourages each riverfront to
take on different characters.
• From the current economic and social conditions in Hue, the locals have not acquired the
lifestyle of waterfront enjoyment.
• Development of tourist activities along riverfronts may provide more opportunities to liven the riverfronts.
However, this should be cautiously undertaken as over provision of tourist activities along the banks will make
the river banks exclusive and no longer a public space.
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
Activity Density (Day)
High Density
Low Density
13. North Bank
ACTIVITY CONCENTRATION (NIGHT)
• The vicinity of Dong Ba Market has a high concentration of local activities.
• Locals gather in café to watch television. They also wait around the lottery centre for the release
of results of the draw.
• In the night, the high activity areas in the south bank are mainly those tourists related facilities.
Analysis
• We shall look at possibility of improving the night life for locals.
• Although there is more potential to develop night activities for tourists, this will further create zones of
exclusivity for the tourists, which will not be suitable for the locals
•The ‘civic district’ upstream is deserted after office hours. As most of the buildings are closed with no
alternative uses at night, the streets are also generally quiet.
South Bank
• It will be ideal if we can achieve a balance of activities, both local and tourists on both
banks.•Tourists activities along Duong Hung Vuong are very much alive. You can find
numerous eateries, souvenir shops and internet cafes around this area.
Activity Density (Night)
High Density
Low Density
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
14. RIVER EDGES
North Bank
• The moat around the citadel is lined by both soft (grass) and hard edges (walkways, slums).
• The riverfront along this bank is primarily linked by a continuous green except at both ends
where the Dong Ba market and Steel Mill are located.
• The soft riverfront edge is made up of both green spaces and a beach of mud and sand.
South Bank
• The hard edge is along privately owned buildings like hotels and other
institutions. Parts of it are walkways.
Analysis
• Specific functions developing along the banks of the river can help to create ‘anchor’ points to attract
people to use the area
• Action must be taken to avoid privatizing of the river banks which will inhibit public access and
enjoyment.
River Front Edges
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
15. Observations
• Most of the buildings are only 1or 2 storeys high. Some reach to about 4 storeys.
• Taller buildings are primarily hotels and institutional buildings found on the north bank.
• Taller buildings are located further away from the citadel.
• Buildings around the citadel are mostly 2 storeys high.
Analysis
• Future developments should also respect the significance of the Citadel.
• Landmark buildings as a node for other complementary activities to take place. (e.g Dong-Ba Market)
• Layers of taller (mixed use)buildings buffer noise and dirt to the residential areas behind.
• Vistas to be identified and enhanced.
URBAN FABRIC : BUILDING HEIGHT
Building Height
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
16. LANDUSE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS
Past Orientation
• Orientation of the Imperial palace follows the orientation of the citadel.
• Orientation of the Citadel relies on the geomantic principles of “ Yi Jing ”.
• The perfect assimilation with topographical conditions improves drainage and supply of water.
• The primary livelihood in the past was agriculture. Thus the town developed according to the layout of storm and soiled water drainage systems.
Slope
• Perfume River as a central axis for the organization of human existence as a whole.
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
17. LANDUSE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS
Present Configuration
• Introduction of the two main roads along the both banks of the river
improved accessibility and brought about developments along the
roads.
• Developments started expanding inland on the south bank and
towards the Citadel on the north bank.
• More recent developments saw smaller developments springing up
along the riverfronts. (small cafes, tourist facilities)
Development Phases
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
18. LANDUSE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS
Future Projections
• Presently, very few locals actually take time to enjoy the
beauty of the riverfronts. However, as the city becomes more
affluent and the people have more opportunities for
recreation, the riverfront would be ideal.
• The focus would hopefully shift from an agricultural and
commercial livelihood to one of culture and lifestyle.
• In the future, the river could serve as the perfect setting for
recreation of both the locals and the foreigners.
Development Phases
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
19. •Zone One – Citadel and Imperial Palace
•Zone Two – Residential/Commercial area along the North Bank
•Zone Three – Dong Ba Market
•Zone Four – Slum Areas
•Zone Five – Institutional, Administrative, Tourist Development along South Bank
•Zone Six – Inner City
TYPOLOGICAL ZONINGS
Typological Zones
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
20. • Mandarin house is a microcosm of the city. The green serve both to cool the compound and absorb excess rain water from the ground.
• Houses are of demountable timber construction with lightweight foundation on mini-piles.
• The traditional unit is the typology adopted for most housing along commercial streets. This is very similar to the Chinese shophouse where people work and leave in one compound.
Zone One – Citadel and Imperial Palace
The Mandarin (Garden) House
The Traditional Unit (dwelling-workshop)
The Modern Unit (dwelling-workshop)
Zone Two – Residential/Commercial area along the North Bank
• The built form here is a modern adaptation of the traditional dwelling-workshop unit.
• Commercial activity is mainly on ground floor. Some of the residence on the upper floors are also turned into hotel.
• Concrete is used instead of timber structure.
• Facades proportions are kept but ornamentation is kept minimal.
•
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
21. • Area is dotted with 2-4 storey modern concrete blocks that house dry products and groceries for sale in the market.
• These buildings also house other amenities like transport and a lottery center.
• Temporary kiosks selling all sorts of fresh produce butt against the safety of the concrete blocks.
• The kiosks are less resistant to weather conditions while the concrete blocks provide a more permanent shelter for the hawkers.
Zone Three – The Dong Ba Market Area
Zone Four – Slum/Shanty Town
• These towns are a result of and influx of rural migrants into the relative safety of the city (Hue was a military base) during the 1960s and 70s.
• These settlement are orientated right up to the river edge and the river is a necessity for these shanty town residents.
• The shanty towns along the river are distinguished by its chaotic orientation and zinc roofs. The shanty towns next to the moat and citadel however acquires a more permanent built form.
Squatter villages at the edge of river.
The bustle of the Dong Ba Market
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
22. • In 1885, a colonial town sprouted on the south bank of the river.
• Many of the buildings here are villas of masonry construction left behind by the former French colonial masters.
• With the arrivals of these villas, the French also introduced 2 new principles of construction: raised masonry foundations and the concept of load bearing
walls.
• More recent developments on this bank includes multi-storey hotels that resonate a typical resort architecture found in many other parts of the world.
Zone Five – Institutional, Administrative, Tourist Development along South Bank
Zone Six – Inner City
•The inner city is a myriad of architectural forms and has no specific architectural character.
•However, there are still some residential/ commercial streets that retain the grain and character of the streets near the river banks.
Analysis
• The more traditional houses (like the mandarin house) are designed with response to the local climate an site.
• New methods of construction introduced by the French during the colonial times had eroded some of these sensitivities.
• Now buildings are be built as high as desired and instead of traditional green buffer, raised masonry embankments is use to counter flooding problems.
• While new construction methods can stretched design and building possibilities, sensitivity and awareness of the site and quality of urban space must also be consider.
Colonial villas of the early French settlers dotted the southern bank of the river.
A variety of different architecture typology made up the inner
city.
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
24. C
C’
B B’
• The park here is a large stretch of open space sandwiched by a hard edge
to the river on one side and a busy main road on the other.
• The roads are quite deserted at night as the buildings fronting it are mainly institutional buildings that operate only during daytime.
• Buildings front the main road are physically detached from the river. However, there remains a vista to the river front.
• Building frontage is facing the main road with their backs to the river.
• Scale of road to building is quite proportionate.
• Buildings fronting the main road does not have a clear vista to the river.
• The vista is obstructed by the main road and the layers of built forms along the river bank.
Cross Section Study BB’
Cross Section Study CC’
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
25. E E’
D D’
• These developments turn their backs against the moat and the citadel. This back façade is usually a
composition of makeshift structures housing toilet and washing facilities.
• The scale of the road is over proportionate to the building height. This discourages human traffic
across the busy road.
• The large stretch of green extends into the river with dense undergrowth..
• Newer developments front the moat and are serviced by paved pedestrian walkways.
• Early developments face each other and shares a narrow alleyway in between.
• The mixed use buildings fronting the main road has an unobstructed vista to the river.
• The main road has a heavy vehicular traffic flow volume thus creating a barrier for access to the waterfront park.
Cross Section Study DD’
Cross Section Study EE’
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
26. Overgrown Vegetation
• The unutilized eastern stretch of land on the North bank
is overgrown with vegetation. Upgrading works are
currently being done to convert them into parks.
Roadside Planting
•The pedestrian walkways along both sides of existing roads
on both banks are generally well shaded. The trees provide
the much appreciated relief especially from the summer sun.
Nursery
• The stretch of land used as nurseries appear to be an
isolated activity that is not related to its surroundings.
Agriculture
• It is observed that there are intermittent stretches of
agricultural land along citadel wall. This could be due to the
proximity to water source and residences ( as an “extension”
of backyard)
Existing Parks
•There is a continuous stretch of green along the North
bank. The green on the south bank, however is interrupted
by development along the bank.
•There are a few small parks within the city presently.
They could be better linked with green connectors to lead
to the river.
LANDUSE
SITE ANALYSIS
28. MACRO TRANSPORT NETWORK
North-South Link
•Many major arterial roads pass through Hue linking
Hanoi in the North and Ho Chi Minh City in the South. In
fact, this North-South route is also known as the
Mandarin route. Hue is also linked to the coastal areas.
Transport Nodes
• The nearest airport is a mere 30mins away by car with
around 2 flights daily to HCMC and Hanoi presently.
There are in fact plans to build an International airport in
Hue in the near future.
• Hue is also serviced by the Vietnam rail service - the
Reunification Line which linked Hue with the rest of
Vietnam. There are around 10 trains daily to HCMC and
Hanoi respectively.
TRANSPORT
SITE ANALYSIS
29. Major and Minor Roads
•The majority of the roads in Hue are small - 4 to 6m in width. Major roads that linked Hue with Hanoi in the North
and HCMC in the South (the Mandarin Route) are slightly wider - 7 to 10m in width. The roads immediately along
both banks of the river are also in this category.
•There are a few exceptionally wide roads, the most noticeable being the road along Dong Ba market - around 15m
in width. This is to cater to the large amount of local activities and traffic in the area.
TRANSPORT NETWORK
TRANSPORT
SITE ANALYSIS
30. TRANSPORT NETWORK
Bridges
Da Vien Bridge: This bridge is built primarily for the railway Line. There are two one-way lanes in each direction
respectively for motorcycles and bicycles. Pedestrian movement has not been provided for and they would have to
make way for oncoming vehicles frequently when crossing the bridge.
Phu Xuan Bridge: This relatively new bridge is open to all types of vehicles. Pedestrian walkways are provided on both
sides of the bridge.
Trang Tien Bridge: This historical bridge is catered primarily for motorcycles and bicycles. Pedestrian walkways are also
provided on both sides of the bridge. It has restricted access for cars and cyclos. These forms of
transport are forbidden to use the bridge during the main peak hours:
0630-0730 1100-1330 1500-1800
TRANSPORT
SITE ANALYSIS
31. HIERARCHY OF ROADS AND DEVELOPMENT
North Bank
• The roads are exceptionally wide at the Eastern stretch near Dong Ba market. This is related to the high density
of commercial and residential development in the area. On the other hand, the Western stretch is devoid of
development. This could be because of the heavy vehicular traffic condition along that stretch of road.
HIERARCHY OF ROADS AND DEVELOPMENT
South Bank
• The roads on the South bank are comparatively less busy and narrower than the roads near Dong Ba. The South
bank is characterized by Institutions and tourist developments. They also serve as an important link to the coastal
area.
TRANSPORT
SITE ANALYSIS
32. HIERARCHY OF ROADS AND TRAFFIC VOLUME
The above statistics are based on a 5 minute count.
North Bank
• It is observed that the traffic volume is lower along Western stretch which has been identified as part of the Heavy
Vehicles Route - trucks and buses passing thru Hue along N&S route. However, traffic volume is observed to be very
high along Eastern stretch which is characterized by commercial development and Dong Ba Market. This is even
more so during the peak hours.
• There appear to be a “traffic transition zone” between the two main vehicular bridges for movement between the 2
banks. Traffic is observed to be especially high in this zone before dispersing into the city/citadel.
TRANSPORT
SITE ANALYSIS
33. TYPES OF TRANSPORT
• From observation, popular modes of transport in Hue include bicycles, motorcycles and cyclos. Other modes of transport include
trucks, buses, ferries and cars.
• It is also observed that there is a trend towards motorised transport - more and more locals are choosing motorcycles over
bicycles for the speed if they can afford it. Very few locals choose to walk in the city. Most of them have their private mode of
transport, a bicycle at the very least.
TRANSPORT
SITE ANALYSIS
34. PARKING
• It is observed that bicycles and motorcycles parks are located near major nodes like institutions,
hotels and commercial activities. The only carpark found is located at the railway station.
• Cyclos are gathered where passengers can be picked up e.g. hotels, tourist attractions and
restaurants.
• Ferry parks that are located along the South Bank are mostly for the Dragon boats for tourists
while goods ferries are located mainly at Dong Ba Market.
• The local bus terminal which provides bus service to nearby provinces is located at Dong Ba. The
tourist bus terminal (tourist drop off/pickup point) however, is located just outside the citadel.
• The general observation is that parking within the city is largely unplanned and inadequate. People
just parked where they wanted - nearest to their destinations. This caused congestion in many
places especially in the major commercial districts. Parking along pedestrian walkways also
rendered the walkways unusable.
TRANSPORT
SITE ANALYSIS
