Cultural industries experts call for preservation of Hotel Estoril façade

Alexis Tam attends a briefing session on the Hotel Estoril’s revamp with cultural industries representatives

Members of the Committee of Cultural Industries and the Cultural Industries Fund’s Administrative Committee have called on the government to preserve some of the former Hotel Estoril’s features, namely its façade.
The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, attended another briefing session on the renovation of the Hotel Estoril last Friday, this time to gather opinions from experts from the cultural industries.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Mr Tam reiterated that the renowned Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, who will be responsible for designing the project, is due to travel to Macau in October in order to share his views on the plans for the Hotel Estoril’s redevelopment.
Mr Tam told the Times he is hoping that the government will reach a final decision on whether to rebuild the structure or to build an entirely new building before the end of this year.
Mr Tam and Siza Vieira met recently in Portugal to discuss the Hotel Estoril project. The Portuguese architect is in favor of creating a new building from scratch instead of preserving the existing façade.
However, members of the two committees have called on the government to preserve Macau’s historical legacy by maintaining the building’s façade and mural.
Member Angela Leong, who also serves as a lawmaker and as a managing director of casino operator SJM, said that it would be unfair to destroy the building and to create a new one. Hotel Estoril was built in the 1960s and was the first hotel in which Ms Leong’s husband, tycoon Stanley Ho, began exploring his options as a gaming concessionaire by establishing his first casino.
“I feel emotionally attached to this building (…) our generation knows of the building’s history but if the building is torn down, younger generations won’t know about its past,” she stressed at the meeting.
She added that, “it would be a shame to tear down the building. It’s unfair for future generations who will not know all the work behind the construction of this hotel.”
Ms Leong asked the government whether they would consider preserving the structure’s façade at a minimum.
Local artist and curator James Chu acknowledged that the building’s façade is not particularly special, but stressed that it has its “own style and features, which are regarded as part of the Macau people’s memories.” To take full advantage of the space, he suggested that the swimming pool could be set into the top of the edifice.
José Luis de Sales Marques, president of the Institute of European Studies, said that the Hotel Estoril’s revamp will require the government making a difficult decision. He acknowledged there are many factors that should be taken into account.  However, he recalled that, “we need to understand how we could preserve some of Macau’s memories, in a way which is also good for the city’s [development]”.
Local architect Carlos Marreiros stressed that the government will have to closely consider the question of how to solve traffic and parking issues. He also said that he has a lot of memories of Tap Seac’s Square and Hotel Estoril.
The architect also stressed that the building’s interior is very worn down, and it might therefore be worth reconstructing it. Regarding the building’s mural, created by Italian architect and sculptor Oseo Acconci, Mr Marreiros said that it would be possible to repair the damaged mosaic.
Another committee member, Kong Mei Fan, also called on the government to keep the mural for its “historic value.”
Alexis Tam pledged to take all views into account when making the final decision. He recalled that there have been at least 15 briefing sessions on the Hotel Estoril project.
“We will hear architect Siza Vieira’s opinions in October and we will then ponder his opinions and those of other sectors of society,” he told reporters, adding that the government will need to listen to opinions on technical matters, including from experts within the Civil Engineering Laboratory.
The abandoned Hotel Estoril will be revamped and turned into a youth recreation and art center. The new facilities will include various performance venues for the conservatory and for drama and dance theatre schools, as well as rehearsal spaces, an indoor swimming pool, a youth information service station, and a parking lot.

tam highlights new option for swimming pool

The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, has hinted that Hotel Estoril’s adjacent swimming pool may be too badly damaged to warrant reparation. He suggested that the best option would be to instead build an entirely new pool. “We have gathered different opinions on the subject and we know that people have a lot of memories of this swimming pool, but I think it would be better to build a new one so that Macau people could take full advantage of it (…) This one can no longer host competitions,” he explained.
The government’s plans for the abandoned Hotel Estoril include turning the adjacent swimming pool into an indoor heated pool. On Friday, Mr Tam added that the government is considering building a ceiling that could be removed during the summer months. “It’s more expensive, but I think it’s worth it,” he concluded.