House of the Phan family

We have no information about the architect or the year of construction of this house, unfortunately. Linda Mazur's research has shown that in the 1940s and 1950s, Nguyễn Gia Thiều Street was primarily inhabited by families of government administrators, most of whom were Vietnamese. Hence, it is highly probable that the houses on this street were built in early 1940s.

The three-story house at 11 Nguyễn Gia Thiêu featured amenities such as electricity and running water, although cooking still relied on a charcoal fire in the backyard. The house comprised 11 rooms, all painted in a pale green hue. The ground floor housed a large room serving as a combined reception and dining area. On the second floor, there was a spacious living room along with two smaller guest rooms, while the top floor was dedicated to bedrooms. Modern bathrooms were available on each floor. In the past, the most affluent residences boasted water pressure systems that automatically supplied water to the second and third floors.

Upon its initial construction, this house featured a spacious front garden and was adorned with a soft grey paint. In this affluent neighborhood, houses showcased a variety of colors. White lime paint was the most economical option; thus, one measure of residents' status was their ability to afford painting their homes in attractive pastel shades.

According to Linda Mazur's research the Phan family owned the house and before the fighting rented it to Dr. Sollier, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Bạch Mai Hospital and one of the few French residents in the "Thien Quang Lake" area. He left Hà Nội after the war in 1947. We do not have any information about the current ownership. Compared to other houses in the area this one is kept in shape. It has also been set on the list of preserved French-style villas by Hà Nội City authorities in 2013.

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