Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian told reporters yesterday that her bureau had received over 730 opinions from residents about its plans for the new Macau Central Library.

Mok made the remarks on the sidelines of the Macao City Fringe Festival opening ceremony at Rotunda de Carlos da Maia (popularly known as “Three Lamps”).

The bureau announced in September last year that the new Macau Central Library will be built on the plot of the former Hotel Estoril near Praça do Tap Seac.

Mok said that through the initial assessment of the residents’ opinions, she thought that they are mostly concerned about issues such as the design of the library, the possible traffic situation, the book selections and the library’s other facilities.

Mok also said that the government has invited library experts to provide professional opinions and analyse the overall construction project. She added that the bureau aimed to finish the first stage of work in a month or two so that the bureau would be ready for the next stage.

Mok stressed that the exterior of the library and the entire building project focus on energy conservation and limiting the cost of construction. When asked whether it is possible to have the bidding for the construction project get off the ground this year, Mok said it would depend on the progress.

Mok noted that the bureau has invited four internationally well-known architect firms to submit their designs for the library, adding that she hopes that the government will choose one of the proposals. She pointed out that the bureau expects to have the library ready for the general public in 2025.

IC Vice President Leong Wai Man said last September that “the government contacted 15 architectural design teams abroad that have won awards in international architectural design and have designed outstanding libraries or similar cultural facilities. The bureau invited four of them to participate and submit proposals of the conceptual designs for this project.”

Leong underlined that the four internationally renowned architectural design teams from Finland, Ireland, Netherlands and Switzerland have submitted proposals with features such as an iconic exterior design, preservation of the existing mosaic, sufficient parking spaces and an interactive relationship with Praça do Tap Seac, as well as making full use of the landscape of the public Estoril (known in Chinese as San Fa Yuen) swimming pool behind the building.

Leong said that the new Macau Central Library will have a construction area of more than 10,000 square metres, making it the largest library in Macau. Leong pointed out that compared to building the library as originally planned at the old courthouse in Praia Grande, constructing the library on the Hotel Estoril plot would be “less difficult and have a relatively lower construction cost”.

When asked yesterday whether the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the project’s progress, Mok said that the various teams involved in the project are communicating through the internet and “it has been going well”.

Fringe Festival starts

Yesterday was the opening ceremony for the 20th Macao City Fringe Festival organised by the bureau. According to a statement handed out during the ceremony, this year’s theme is “Everyone is an Artist”. The statement pointed out that this year’s festival features 18 “extraordinary” programmes and 16 outreach activities.

According to the statement, a participatory exhibition “Art Exhibition for All”, also officially opened yesterday. It provides a platform for the public to display their creative work from today until next Monday at Rotunda de Carlos da Maia and from next Tuesday to Sunday next to the Flower City Park. The statement said that interested parties are welcome to submit artworks during the exhibition period, regardless of form and theme.

For more information about this year’s festival, residents can visit www.macaucityfringe.gov.mo.

Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian talks to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s Macao City Fringe Festival opening ceremony at Rotunda de Carlos da Maia.

Photo courtesy TDM