The building originally comprised a grand hall with a clock tower upon it and 2 single story blocks on the left and right wing, stretching from Pellerin Street to Catinat Street (now Pasteur Street and Đồng Khởi Street).
Exterior Directed by architect Fernand Gardè, the hall design took inspiration from the
town hall of Paris and resembles the bell towers of northern France – a rising point-shaped tower accompanied by two adequate symmetrical attic towers and shorter but long blocks on the sides. The center tower includes a clock and at its peak a flag pole. Another storey was then built on top of the blocks in the 1940s. The design of the building is a fusion of multiple
classical architectural streams like
Renaissance,
Baroque and
Beaux-Arts, as seen on its with
Baroque and
Rococo decoration,
Art Nouveau iron doors,
Corinthian columns and domic entrances. The entire front facade is sculptures of
wreaths,
ylang ylangs and men in
Phrygian cap, reflecting the architecture of the
French Third Republic. With so many inspirations taken from, the building was deemed by some as "a woman with too much jewelry".
The sculptures on the façade On the facade of the building, three sculptures of
Marianne are placed in the middle of the pediments. She is the
national personification of
liberty, equality and fraternity of the French Republic.
The left sculpture The left sculpture shows the figure of Marianne seating on a podium. Her left hand is placed on a vase pouring water while her right hand holds a
ship's rudder. She wears a
laurel wreath on her head with some laurel decoration on the background. Below the figure is the wheat motif, a
Caduceus, and a
scythe. The laurel wreath usually implies victory, while the Caduceus is
Hermes's staff, often recalled as the symbol of commercial activity or negotiation. The appearance of the ship's rudder is believed to represent the strength of commerce and trading. The sculpture is an indication of
equality.
The middle sculpture At the center of the facade, under the bell tower lies a sculpture depicting a goddess and two children and two lions. The child on the left holds a long staff pointing at the female figure, while the boy on the right is stepping between two fierce lions. Marianne is most prominent with her taking-off-
Phrygian-clothes posture, similar to the image of half-naked Marianne in the
Liberty Leading the People painting. Her position also suggests that they bravely lead each other out of danger and wilderness. The theme of this sculpture could be liberty as the woman is trying to escape from the mess and wild, with her eye looking up, fulfilled with hope and prospect. Out of the three sculptures, this one is also the most active form of Marianne, as she does not rest but moves vividly. This central sculpture stands for
fraternity.
The right sculpture The right sculpture also shows
Marianne resting position, building the counterpart to the left sculpture. However, she does not wear a
laurel wreath like the left one but has a helmet and a
Gallic rooster on her head. The Gallic rooster is complementary to Marrianne. While Marianne represents the state and their values, Gallic Rooster is the symbol of France as a nation. The sculpture's left hand is placed on a pelta shield, while her right hand holds a sword and leans on a vase pouring water. Under her feet are different weapons and remnants of a battle. Unlike other sculptures that hardly depict the environment, this sculpture captures a strong wind blowing Marianne's hair. With the appearance of weapons, a shield, a sword, and a helmet, this sculpture features military strength. The woman's posture of sitting on war remnants also symbolizes France's pride in past victories on the battlefields that have brought about the peace. The sculpture is a signification of
liberty.
Interior The main entrance consists of five consecutive domes, decorated with floral reliefs and every of its gates are stylized iron doors. Cars will enter the building from a nearby side gate. Another side gate at the address 86B Lê Thánh Tôn is the entrance for the city's Home Affairs Department. These side gates are adequately decorated with festoon motifs. Entering the main entrance lies a grand hall and a staircase to the first floor. On the landing is a relief of two infants carrying the seal of Saigon. The walls and ceilings throughout the building are covered with paintings of the sky,
ylang ylang leaves,
Louis X-era
laurel wreath and a variety of geometrical shapes,
stained glass. == Renovation and expansion ==