Fate of historical sites: Demolition or preservation?

By Teresa Lei

The draft about the latest conditional planning maps was posted in May 2018, which included whether to entirely retain or demolish the Lena Building, an exemplary local building. In July 2018, Chan Tak Shing, the committee member of Town Planning Board, said that it is not worthy of conservation. In August 2018, lawmaker Agnes Lam, together with a number of local architects, submitted a letter of consent from about 610 representatives to the Cultural Affairs Bureau, urging to conserve the Lena Building.

 

The Lena Building, located at John IV Road, is known as the best example of the history of high-rise residential buildings in Macao, which has duplex units with elevators. It uses the design feature of the Marseille apartment, which is the symbol of the influence of Western architectural style.

 

According to the latest environmental statistics released by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), the total land area of Macao was about 30.5 square kilometers in 2016. The population density increased from 21,100 people per square kilometer in 2015 to 21,400 people per square kilometer in 2016. This makes Macao the most densely populated area in the world. The lack of land is obvious, so many disputes about urban development and the preservation and conservation of historic sites appear.

 

"To embody balance between urban planning and the conservation of historic sites, the urban planning authority should strengthen communication with the historic sites conservation authority in the future, also the related civil society," said Wallace Kwah, vice president of Macao Heritage Ambassadors Association (MHAA). "The reasonable way of future urban development is to pay more attention to those non-renewable historic sites, the unique characteristic of the city while developing the economy."

 

Macao citizen Zmilace Lei, said that the historic sites have their own value no matter how famous they are. "I love the outer walls of St. Dominic's Church. It's too beautiful for me," she said.

 

Lei suggested to add their value to the economy, such as converting them into a museum or using them to hold exhibitions, so as to balance the urban development and the preservation of historic sites.

 

The main revenue of Macao comes from the gambling industry and tourism, so more and more hotels and casinos have been constructed. However, Macao also has a rich history of being the first contact point of Eastern and Western cultures. It contains many important historic sites and heritage buildings, which enrich the humanistic atmosphere. In fact, as long as they are properly integrated and supplement with each other, we can optimize our living conditions and make the city develop sustainably in the future.

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