An international design contest entitled “Upgrading the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture”, which was scheduled to take place from 1 September to 31 December, has been cancelled.  This information was recently released by the Director of the Museum, Mr Vo Van Thang.

Mr Thang confirmed that the museum structure will remain unchanged, but said that its seriously degraded and damaged facilities will be upgraded.  He added that importance will be attached to making some adjustments to the displays of existing artifacts, optimising their value, applying an audio guide app, and upgrading the existing lighting system and outdoor areas.  This will help to satisfy the increasing demand from visitors to the museum.

Visitors at the Museum of Cham Sculpture

Earlier on 17 July, many prestigious cultural experts, researchers and managers from across the country gathered in the city to discuss upgrading the museum.  The majority of them said that they would find it very difficult.  The main reason is that the museum has been one of the city’s major attractions, and has played a vital role in the cultural lives of local residents, for a long time.  They added that there should not be a contest because it would be very difficult to apply new designs to the existing museum.  In addition, refurbishment could degrade or even lose the museum’s own heritage values.