14 Nguyễn Gia Thiều

This building shows typically International style elements but the house is in a very bad condition. Although being set on the list of preserved French-style villas by Hà Nội City authorities in 2013, it does not seem to be taken care of at all.

Unfortunately, we have no knowledge about the architect of the house, nor do we possess current information about the owners. Linda Mazur's research revealed that originally the house was a private home. It then became part of the Indonesian Embassy (60s/70s) and later a home for members of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Back in 2016, Hoàng Thị Vấn (originally from Đà Nẵng) is the resident of the house. She came to Hà Nội after 1954 to study at the foreign affairs school. Her husband, Nguyễn Xuân (Nguyễn Ta), came from Huế. He worked as a diplomat in Egypt, Indonesia, and for 15 years in Laos. He was one of the delegates in Paris from 1968 to 1973 with Lê Đức Thọ and Henry Kissinger during the Paris Peace Accords.

• Mazur: Hidden Houses of Hà Nội and the Stories They Tell, 2016