Summer Palace of King Bao Dai

• heritage palace • french colonial period • art deco style

Built-in 1933, the Summer Palace was designed in modern art deco style, using as a retreating place for King Bao Dai and his royal family during the summer 1938 – 1945. The style was one of the most fashionable and popular trends in many developing countries back then. It was a choice of the French colonial authorities and King Bao Dai to symbolize wealth, luxury, and sophistication.

Located in the middle of the “Bois d’amour”, the palace was designed by the French architect Paul Veysseyre. This heritage is now in the hands of a wealthy Vietnamese man, who strives to protect and valorize it. He requested the cooperation of experts and French consultants, with the aim to relive the historical values and moments of this place. At first, the challenges for consultants were to study and understand wisely the history of the place, the people’s lifestyle at this time, the architecture, and interiors. We also think about finding a new approach to refresh and modernize the palace in the future.

Tentative Project owner: DLT

Projects advisors: Busker Company Limited and Mrs. Nga Nguyen

Heritage consultant: Mr. Charles Gallavardin

Landscape art: Cao Perrot Studio

Lighting Designers: Mr. Jonathan Trouillon, Ms. Huynh Hoang Dung, Mr. Martin Bondis

Scope of lighting design: historical researches | site survey | inventory of Art Deco lighting | inventory of materials and refinements | lighting concept | pre-sourcing

Scope of design: Facade lighting | Interior lighting