The Public Works Bureau (DSOP) has launched a public tender for the construction of the new Central Library.
The DSOP published the requirements and deadline for submitting proposals for constructing the building’s superstructure in yesterday’s edition of the government’s official gazette.
The maximum overall execution period is 620 working days (counted from the date of consignment of the work), with one mandatory execution target. This milestone is set at 300 working days and includes completing the roof structure.
The proposal submission deadline is October 8 at 5 p.m., and bidders must provide a provisional deposit of MOP7.8 million.
After the tender, the winner must deposit 5% of the construction price.
The criteria for evaluating bids include price (50%), construction duration (15%), experience and quality in construction work by the bidder (20%), construction plan (10%), and human resources program plan, noting the proportion of resident workers in managerial positions (5%).
The criteria for adjudicating the winning bid state that the contract will go to the bid that gathers the highest score from the sum of all points of the five evaluation criteria. The price criterion will serve as a tiebreaker, with the contract awarded to the bid with the lower price.
The new Central Library will occupy the site of the former Hotel Estoril at Tap Seac.
The first phase of construction, which included demolishing the old building and carrying out substructure works, started in early June last year and is expected to be completed in December this year.
The cost of this first phase of the project was approximately MOP70 million, and the construction period was set at 450 working days.
The new library will cover an area of approximately 2,960 square meters and have four floors, including an underground level dedicated to storage.
The total gross construction area is approximately 13,800 square meters.
Earlier, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), the entity in charge of the project, commissioned three international architecture firms to submit drafts for the future structure. In March 2021, the tender was ultimately awarded to the Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo, with IC hinting that the project could be concluded by the end of 2024 or early 2025.
The original project included a car park on the underground floor, which was later removed. IC officials claimed that the structure would be irrelevant due to its limited space and the need for extra storage space.
Considering the tender’s launch and deadline, the project is unlikely to be concluded before 2028.
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