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There is a very specific period - the years from 1954 to 1986 - in the history of urban development in Hanoi, considered a stage of socialist-oriented urban planning and development with strong external support in economy and construction technology, etc., while the local architects were ready to learn more from modern architecture as a prevailing trend. In addition, Hanoi's urban planning in this period was expanded and systematically carried out with the help of the Former Soviet Union and other socialist countries. As a result, the demand of the city residents for using new public buildings increased quickly, and hundreds of public buildings of all sizes were constructed, many of which became highlights or landmarks in Hanoi's urban space. Today, after 30 or 40 years, most of these public buildings are no longer in use or have been partially transformed although they are structurally still very stable and aesthetically well appreciated in view of the cityscape. Without an appropriate revitalisation programme, they will not be able to adapt themselves to the new circumstances and may continue to disappear or change beyond all recognition. As an integral part of sustainability, adaptive use of public buildings from the period of 1954 - 1986 in Hanoi will not only help us to efficiently exploit them in several more decades but can also conserve them as heritage buildings which remind people, especially young citizens, and foreign tourists, about a short but eventful and unforgettable chapter in the book of Hanoi city in the 20th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]