Da Nang to hear out critics of  controversial skyscraper Danang authorities say they will solicit expert advice on a 25-story hotel project that has been approved on the Han River, following criticism about its potential ecological and visual impact on the city. The city’s Department of Construction will hold a meeting with the architect and zoning associations on January 8 to hear their opinions about the project, which has been dubbed “the Marina lighthouse,” Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper said Friday. The project’s backer, Danang-based DHC Investment JSC, told city leaders on December 25th that the hotel tower, which is slated to be built roughly 30 meters from the bank of the Han River, will occupy roughly 400 square meters. A rendering of the Marina Lighthouse, a 25-story hotel tower being planned on the Han River, which runs through the center of Danang. Photo via Tuoi Tre. Though the project received support from officials in Danang, including People’s Committee Chairman Van Huu Chien and Construction Department Director Pham Viet Hung, architects have come forward to criticize the plan. “The massive tower will certainly obstruct the flow of the river,” Pham Phu Binh, a member of the Vietnam Architect Association, told a Tuoi Tre reporter. Hoang Quang Huy, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Zoning Association also took issue with the project. “I personally disagree with the construction of such a ‘lighthouse’ on the Han River. With the exception of bridges, no other work should extend over the river’s surface,” Huy told Tuoi Tre. Huy said construction on the tower would badly affect the look and flow of the river. He also urged the city government to listen to opinions from experts and the public on the project because the Han River ultimately belongs to the people. Thanh Nien News