Association criticizes Calçada de Gaio building, saying construction violates CE dispatch

The association calling for the protection of the Guia Lighthouse has once again sought the assistance of UNESCO to persuade the local government to suspend the construction of the unfinished building at Calçada de Gaio.

In a letter sent to the director-general of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, the Concern Group for the Protection of the Guia Lighthouse has stated that the height limit and design of this unfinished building should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Centre and the advisory bodies before it is finalized and implemented.

“As to the unfinished building at Calçada de Gaio, to reduce the height of this building to 52.5 meters is a solemn commitment the State Party made in 2008 in the face of imminent threat to the landscape and the visual integrity of the world cultural heritage site posed by nearby high-rise buildings,” the association said.

For the association, the present Macau government decision to allow the unfinished building to be completed at a height of around 80 meters is “not fair and cannot be justified and is a clear violation of the Macau Chief Executive Directive 83/2008.”

“We request UNESCO-WHC to seek permission of the State Party to disclose details of the HIA for the unfinished building and to provide valid reasons to explain why the State Party could not stand firm on the height limit,” it added.

The building at Calçada do Gaio 18-20, which has been embroiled in a long-running dispute regarding the development height, finally resumed construction in February.

Construction was halted for years due to claims that the project interfered with the UNESCO-classified heritage site of the Guia Lighthouse and Fortress at Guia Hilltop.

The construction has been granted a license for the conclusion of the works valid from February 9, 2023, until January 10, 2026.

In the letter, the association also regretted that the government has proceeded with the construction of the 90-meter building at Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues, in close proximity to the Guia Lighthouse.

In early May, the government decided to continue to allow two buildings over 50 meters in height to be built within the buffer zone of the Guia Lighthouse, despite UNESCO’s opinion on the detrimental impacts this these developments will have on the views around the lighthouse.