Carlos Marreiros | Gov’t must ‘work fast to make a plan to defend Coloane’

Macanese architect Carlos Marreiros commented on the controversy surrounding the eventual construction of a skyscraper on Coloane’s hill, saying that it’s time to have an integrated, low-level construction plan for the area.
Speaking with the Times on the sidelines of a British Business Association of Macau event held this week, Marreiros, who is also the director general of Albergue SCM, voiced his concerns over Coloane’s urbanization.
“I always agree that Coloane should be urbanized. Coloane should have an urbanization plan, but urbanizing Coloane doesn’t mean that it will be full of high-rises. It should be integrated […] this is what our plan for Coloane should be.”
Marreiros added that the government should quickly work out an urbanization scheme in Coloane and have a low-level construction plan, with a green approach. He believes that it is tough for the government to stop some previously promised projects.
“It is important to state that some developers have already had their projects approved in the past, [and] some of these projects stem from the Portuguese time […] Macau SAR government cannot just refuse them,” he said.
“They are legal documents, so they must be respected, but the government of Macau has to work fast if they are to make a plan to defend Coloane, otherwise it will have to face other problems. Investors also have expectations, paying interest, and so on, so they need to develop the area,” adds Marreiros.
Marreiros hopes that the issue, which is under discussion, can be solved to avoid ‘ambiguous areas’ in the future.
“Macau is an open society, therefore the opportunities must be on an even playing field for everybody.”
Marreiros specified that urban intervention is a sensitive issue due to Macau’s delicate urban profile, and recommended that all intervention be balanced, especially on the peninsula.
“On the other hand, Macau is a 450-year old historical city, with part of it listed by UNESCO. Therefore, intervention in the urban tissue should be done very carefully,” he explained.
The architect also mentioned that Cotai, the so-called ‘white land,’ has not faced much of a battle with heritage, emphasizing that Macau peninsula’s regulations are tough.
“On the Macau peninsula, we have a lot of regulations around the practice of architecture because you have the legacy – heritage that must be maintained – not only for tourists but also for locals. Heritage is part of the past and present identity of the people of Macau,” he added. Staff reporter