Protect Capitol bldg.’s dignity, redesign 20-storey project

A heritage consultant says the new building project will take away the prominence of the Capitol building, which is Cebu’s “seat of power.” CDN FILE PHOTO

The modern building proposed inside the Cebu provincial capitol compound should be designed in such a way that it will not take away the prominence of the Capitol building which is considered as the “seat of power” in Cebu, said Architect Melva Java.

Java, a heritage consultant at the office of Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, said there was a need to protect the “dignity” of the Capitol building which was declared a historical landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) in 2008.

“Lower the (height of the) new building. Let the Capitol still have the dignity of a seat of governance,” Java said.

The architect said she already proposed to Gov. Hilario Davide III the need to redo the design of the 20-storey Provincial Resource building in a consultation called on May 16 to hear public sentiments on the planned project.

The P1.5 billion building is designed to accommodate some capitol offices while part of it will also be leased as commercial spaces.

Should Davide consider her suggestion, Java said, she was prepared to help work on the redesign of the new building.

“It is up to him (Davide) and his architects together with us (to decide on the new design of the proposed modern building). We are trying to work out a way to help this building decongest (the old Capitol building) but at the same time to respect the historic character and the institutional character of the existing historical landmark,” Java said.

NHCP said in an earlier statement that the planned construction was too high.

Gov. Davide said in an earlier interview that the construction project will not block the view of the Capitol building.

However, Davide said, he was open to hearing suggestions on how to improve the building’s design in compliance with national laws.

Java said that there are means to change the building design while at the same time maximizing the use of open spaces and existing buildings inside the capitol compound.

She said that the old Palace of Justice building located at the back of the Capitol building which was badly damaged by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake earthquake which hit Cebu on October 15, 2013 can still be used for additional office spaces.

If renovated, the old Palace of Justice can accommodate some of the Capitol offices that are supposed to be included in the planned Provincial Resource building.

“All we need is structural retrofitting at the old Palace of Justice,” she said.