Macao central library | Dutch architects win design, IC bids to keep project within budget

The proposal from the Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo is the winning proposal out of the four proposals received for the construction of the new Macao Central Library that will be built on the land plot of the former Hotel Estoril at Tap Seac Square, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) announced yesterday in a press conference.
“After comprehensive consideration, including of experts’ opinions, overall cost, and difficulty of construction, energy conservation and maintenance, functional design and cost of design, the proposal of Dutch design team Meccano was selected, [having fulfilled] all aspects of the criteria,” the IC president, Mok Ian Ian, announced during her speech.
Questioned by the media on the topics, Mok also said that the IC expects to complete the construction within the previously announced estimated budget of MOP500 million, although noted that this amount was a general estimate for the cost of the construction that was made before the final design was decided upon.
“We will control the expenses as much as possible and try to keep them within this [budgeted] amount of 500 million [patacas]. But this [figure] is just an estimate as we do not yet have a final budget [for the construction],” Mok said.
Mok added that, in line with previously suggested dates for completion, the IC “hopes to be able to open the library doors at the end of 2024 or at that start of 2025,” adding, “At this point, it’s difficult to say as the process has just started or is about to start. What I can say is that we hope we can do it as fast as possible.”

Participation of local companies a requirement
Some questions were raised during the press conference regarding the involvement and role of local architecture companies in the new library construction project.
During her speech, Mok said, “For the follow-up works of the new Macao Central Library, the selected team will collaborate with a local team to carry out the project. IC will work with the Public Works Department to promote the next phase of works.”
The IC president explained that the collaboration with local architecture firms comes as a government requirement.
“Government has this demand that foreign companies need to collaborate with local companies for these large scale projects. This has to do with the fact that architecture projects [to be submitted to the Land, Public Works, and Transport Bureau] need to be signed off by locally registered architects,” Mok explained, adding, “It’s the Dutch team that will select who their local partners going to be. I believe they have already made some contacts with local teams but we just don’t know who they are [at this moment].”

The ‘mosaic’ of discontent
Although in her speech, Mok noted on several occasions that the “IC attaches great importance to the opinions of the industries and the public, and seeks opinions from representative organizations specialized in local bibliographic information and engineering and construction industries,” one fact stood out – out of the four proposals considered, the Mecanoo proposal is the one that aesthetically veers furthest away from the design characteristics of the former Hotel Estoril building. It is also the only proposal that does not include the preservation of the old mosaic in its façade, moving it to an interior area of the building instead.
Questioned on the topic, Mok said, “Each company presented its design that has unique and special characteristics. [To decide on the winning proposal] we have consulted the opinions of experts and also took into account the public opinion as well as the local needs.” Mok added that the advantages of the new building, its integration within the local environment, as well as the services that will be provided will surpass other particular design aspects.
According to the president of IC, based on expert and public opinion, it is also important that the new building has the characteristics expected of a modern facility in the 21st century. Accordingly, Mok added that a new parking level will be added to the original project.
“Considering the public’s opinion on [the need to facilitate] transport, in addition to the provision of parking spaces in the original plan, there will be an additional car park in the future plan, allowing the public to easily reach this landmark of the city in the future.
The vice president of IC, Deland Leong, also noted that in the opinions and submissions gathered during the consultation period, “around 50% were related to functionality and interior spaces.”
The IC also acknowledged receiving public expressions of support for the winning design, saying, “Most of the people that expressed a preference for a certain building design were in between this design and the one from Swiss architecture firm [Herzog & de Meuron].”