序打開一箱箱的舊畫,就像是翻開封存了一段時間的記憶,亦看到自己探索藝術的一點足跡。中學時期跟黎鷹老師在街頭寫生,引起了後來對建築、澳門歷史、建築遺產的興趣。印象派的色彩讓我有求學歐洲的想法,葡國雕塑家白德明、法國藝術家 Michel Bulcourt 及 Francis Brun 都影響過我的藝術路途,大大小小的博物館給我開闊的視野。經歷熱衷了解西方文化之後,我更想回過來探究東方的文化,特別是具有悠久歷史的中國傳統文化。不論繪畫、裝置、設計以至建築,我用不同的形式進行相近的探索。藉籌備這本作品選集,我得到一次思考藝術路向的機會。呂澤強5
Listen to the Heart木 Wood2014由類似教堂祭壇前的木欄杆圍合成一個心形的“前地”空間,裏面放有四張木櫈,各擺放著一個耳機。觀眾可進入“心房”並可從耳機中聆聽來自澳門的聲音,包括土地誕的節慶表演、紅街巿的喧鬧聲、聖安多尼堂的中文彌撒及議事亭前地日與夜的環境錄音。作品透過純聽覺,在一個白色寂靜的空間中,探討現今視覺圖像日趨重要的建築環境中其他官感對空間認知的不可忽視。96
The visible soul – A reflection about architectural intervention in historical environmentby Andre LUI 2011In a grand urban development like Macao, conservation of historical building and environment is one of the important as-pects in maintaining cultural and historical significance, where a large part of the city has been classified as World Heritage and protection buffer zone.Since the 1980s, reusing historical building is a part of professional activity of Macao’s architects. Preserving façades of buildings with heritage significance and introducing new interior space organization and program is one of the most frequent and acceptable practical solutions to adaptive reuse heritage buildings. After almost 30 years, we can find many historical buildings which survived, though not the whole building but rather just their main façades in our city. Frequently the design of the new interior and extension reflects only the formal and artistic expression of designer or the practical need by owner, but historical factors of the building not be firstly considered. Some-times the result is not positive for the preservation.Is this kind of reusing historical building and intervention suitable for a World Heritage city? How can we preserve the soul of a historical building or historical environment?In 2008, the government, Culture Institute, launched the first architectural design competition after the handover. The com-petition was opened to all registered architects in Macao to design the new Central Library at the old Court House located at Praia Grande. It was an opportunity for me to think about contemporary intervention at historical environment.The old Court House building was built in 1950’s at the place where located before a neo-classic style old Government Palace. For the competition, the preservation of the main façade and the entrance staircase was required. There were some height limit conditions but candidates had maximum liberty to design their proposal for the new building.After the site visit, I found that high ceiling corridors, court halls, suspect’s cells and even the jugde library were all intact and remained at the old building. The whole existent building presented and reflected the organization and image of the Portuguese dictatorial era, the Salazar style. If I just preserve the façade and destroy the interior space organization and decoration, Macao will lose one significant page of its history. I decided in my proposal to preserve the whole building, adopting and reusing the existing spaces and structures, to build a new building for satisfaction of new functions at the new extension part located behind the existent structure. The new part of the building was designed with contemporary architec-tural language and with simplicity expression to minimize the visual affection to the historical building.Though my conservative proposal was not selected, there was a lesson to learn in the process. Recently the old Court House is used temporarily for a contemporary art exhibition. The existing high ceiling spaces are well-adapted and suitable for the new temporary function. It lets me to think again about my referred proposal and reflection for this historical building.This year was the 3rd architectural competition open for registered Macao architects. The competition was on a historical site, at buffer zone close to a World Heritage building known as the Moorish Barracks. The competition requested a design of a new office building for the headquarters of the Harbour Authority at the empty site behind the historical building, where it is currently used as an open air car park.There were some height limit and guidelines to preserve part of old stone wall. Other than theses conditions, participants had full liberty in their proposals.For me, this was an opportunity again to reflect upon contemporary architectural intervention in the historical environment.The Moorish Barracks was constructed in 1874 to accommodate an Indian regiment from Goa appointed to reinforce Macao’s police force. The building is a neo-classic structure with Islamic architectural influences. Spacious verandas with pointed arches run along the perimeter of the building and the arched gallery enables a good view of the surrounding area 126
and provides an efficient solution for the tropical climate of Macao. Since 1905, the building has been used as the headquar-ters of the Harbour Authority.After researching the historical factors of the site, I found some important information. At the end of 19th century, there was a Moorish Mosque at around the intervention area. The area was historically an Islamic cultural point in Macao. Besides this discovery, I found some old maps in the project area which showed an old reservoir, which was one important element in Macao’s water system in the past, which the structure still remains on site today. A part of the stone wall was required to be preserved. The open space which has a material store area was the shooting gallery for a Portuguese maritime military order in the past.The research led to many questions about conservation historical buildings and adapting to new design. For example, how to keep the authenticity of the intervention site? How to show the uniqueness and the history in my planning and design? How can the new design coexist with the existent structure harmoniously, without losing its contemporary character? I tried to refer these historical factors in my proposal. I chose water as the principle element in my planning to link the past and the future, which is a major component in Islamic cultural. The new office building was located on the area of the disappeared reservoir, the form of the building and the water surface at the entry floor reminded the existence of a reservoir in the past. The water surface was designed for rains collection using in the building’s sustainable system. An unusual space organiza-tion proposed for the new office area permitted views on the Inner Harbour and efficient climate solution. The open public green area, the new office building and the existent World Heritage building would form a harmonious environment, in where the history of the place was related and preserved in the design.The mentioned proposal was not lauded, but I think that in a city as Macao, with more than 400 years history of east and western cultures, besides the new urban development, architect is also responsible to remain the memory of the city, to rein-force the soul of historical environment. A serious historical research is essential before the beginning of the contemporary intervention.127