IC: building construction on Guia Hill will not impact lighthouse

Allowing the suspended building on Guia Hill’s mid-levels to retain its current height and continue construction will not have a “foundational impact” on the values of the city’s group of cultural heritage buildings, an official said yesterday.

The comment was made by Choi Kin Long, department head for cultural heritage at the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), as part of the Cultural Heritage Committee Plenary.

Choi emphasized that the decision has been made in consensus with the World Heritage Centre at the UNESCO and the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China. He revealed that, during the process to resolve the situation, the IC has been in touch with global and national agencies.

The building obtained its first approval to be constructed in 2006. According to its initial plan, it would be a mixed building for both commercial and residential use.

The construction of the building was suspended due to the promulgation of an Executive Order in 2008. The Order classifies the area within a 2.8-kilometer radius of the Guia Lighthouse into 11 zones, with respective height clearances.

Following this, with the building’s planned height exceeding that which was allowed in the zone, its construction was immediately stopped.

Since then, the public has extended discussions on the future of the building. Opinions varied from giving it approval, to restarting construction, to a total demolition.

In between the two extremes, there was an option to reconstruct the building. The IC has tended against this option.

In its first approved plan, the building was set to reach up to 126 meters above sea level.

Despite being the natural highest point on the Macau Peninsula, the summit of the Guia Hill, meanwhile, is only about 90 meters above sea level.

After years of debate, the builder has agreed to lower the height to 81 meters, although many still consider this too tall. With the height deduction, the building will be reduced from 36 floors to 19 floors.

The builder has also agreed to eliminate unnecessary structures on the rooftop so as to further shorten the building. Meanwhile, it was also proposed that the curvy design of the façade should also be replaced by “down-to-earth” straight lines to further simplify its visual impact.

It was also recommended that the peripheral structures – originally concrete – be replaced by transparent glass panels and silver aluminum panels so as to achieve a “refined design,” according to the IC official.

Choi said the new building should be much smaller than the original structure.

He further commented that the altered design will achieve “transparence and lightness,” fitting the requirements set by UNESCO. When the actual application and drafts are received in the future, the IC and the Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) will “rigorously follow the requirements set forth by the World Heritage Committee in the review process.”

With all these alterations, the building should not pose much of an impact on the Historic Centre of Macao, should it be allowed to resume construction, the IC official said, citing a resolution from the UNESCO.

At the plenary, it was not revealed whether the use of the building will be altered following its decrease in gross floor area.