Heritage
To 'MALL' or not to 'MAUL'??
The Old GMC building is under threat of being converted into a shopping mall. Have our imaginations become so stunted that we can think of no better use than to turn this Grande Dame with a long and riveting history into an ordinary marketplace??
photo credit: Frederick Noronha
This column is dedicated to stories of this 'Great Goan Treasure'. Send in your opinions or a story related to this building to grandegmc@gmail.com
PALACE OF MAQUINEZES (1702)
Escola Medico Cirurgica de Nova Goa & former G.M.C building
by Mr. Percival Noronha
Goa's long and chequered history flows through her secular, military and ecclesiastical architecture that has withstood the ravages of time. Her heritage, built and unbuilt, has to be preserved for posterity. Goa's tryst with history has left a rich legacy in the form of a traditional Goan House or a Palace, a fort or a temple, a church or a mosque.
Preservation and conservation, protection of our built and unbuilt heritage, is a sacred duty. From 1842, until recently, the Goa Medical College was housed in the Palace of Maquinezes or Palacio Dos Maquinezes that was built in 1702 and which today houses the government department of Food and Drugs Administration.
The Goa Medical College and Hospital, Panjim, then known as Escola Medico Cirurgica De Nova Goa, was Asia's oldest medical institution. The Military Hospital of Panelim was also transferred here in 1842. This institution, which produced eminent surgeons and catered to the needs of thousands of patients, is close to the Goan heart.
The building facing the Mandovi River and the main road was built in 1927. The period look of this building is evident from its Roman, Neo- classical and Gothic style, semi-circular arched windows, wooden ceilings, cast iron railings, ornamental tiles with rose motifs on the walls of the wards, beautiful green tiles, long corridors, balustrades, pilasters, mouldings, ornamental grills, occluses, stained glass windows of Gothic style window panes, porches and pillars resembling the Doric Order.
The Palace of Maquinezes also has a 18th century Chapel attached to it. This Palace, painted in ochre yellow, is simple in architectural style with a storey, wooden ceilings, a stairway with beautiful wooden balustrades, Roman arches, Portuguese windows, and halls like Sala de Reanimacao Queimados, or Trauma Center for burn victims.
The well-known historian of Panjim Antonio Menezes, informs me that the Chapel built in 1720, was dedicated to Nossa Senhora das Doris or Our Lady of Sorrows. It was thus a private chapel of the Maquinezes Palace. Subsequently, in 1781, this was chapel repaired and re-constructed, was dedicated to Nossa Senhora de Victoria or Our Lady of Victory. The statue of Our Lady was brought from Betim House of Catechuments to Panjim, in the same year. Within this Chapel, there is a beautiful teak wood altar dedicated to Christ. It is exquisitely decorated with gilded work and belongs to the early 18th Century. The Palace of Maquinezes originally belonged to two brothers Diago da Costa de Ataide e Tieve, a Squadron Leader and Cristovam da Costa de Ataide e Tieve, known by the name of Maquinezes.
The first batch of graduates, of this medical school, were Augustino Vincente Lourenco, Antonio Moriera, Francisco Lourenco, Luis de Conceicao - all from Margao. Bernado Silva from Divar, Felicardo Quadros and Pedro Gonzaga Augusto de Melo from Raia and Joaquim Lourenco de Araujo of Lotoulim. These eight male students completed their medical course in the year 1846. Jeonna Lucinda Pinto was the first Goan girl to become a Doctor in 1910 to 1914. Yamunabai Mulgaonkar became a Doctor in 1952.
The medical school required entrants to be over 16 years of age and to have good knowledge of Latin, grammer, Philosophy and Drawing. It is important to note here that the Portuguese gave utmost importance to these subjects of humanities or arts before they ventured into their subjects on medicine, in addition one was required to pass their first year of mathematics school. History of medicine was also part of the course. The medium of instruction was Portuguese and the degree given was MEDICO CIRURGIAO. Internship of six months was compulsory.
The first Pharmacy course student to graduate in 1846 was Cosme Damiao Peres.
Thus the old GMC building complex, set along the Campal Promenade, which housed Asia's first Medical Institution, is of heritage value and needs to be preserved for posterity.
GHAG Letter to CEO of ESG
December 9, 2007
Ms. Nandini Palliwal
CEO
Entertainment Society of Goa
Old GMC
Panaji, Goa
Dear Ms. Palliwal,
Subject: Response to your advertisement in the Gomantak Times (pg 3) dated
11 November 2007 on adaptive re-use of the Old GMC Building
We have seen and read the notice in the newspaper as above and have the following comments and suggestions to make:
1. We as Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG) do not recognize the ownership or proprietorship of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) of the building popularly known as the Old Goa Medical College (GMC) building currently housing the headquarters of the Entertainment Society of Goa and the International Film Festival of India.
2. We believe that given the history, historicity and the popularity of the building, the future use and adaptive re-use of the property must be decided not by the ESG but in consultative partnership by the people of Panaji and people of Goa with the Government of Goa.
3. We do not recognize the one-man commission (Mr. Vishnu Wagh) and his expertise in deciding the future use and adaptive re-use of the building. As far as we understand, the Commission does not possess any expertise in heritage conservation, history, architecture or any other related subject that would qualify him to decide on an important matter such as this.
4. As far as we understand, the Entertainment Society of Goa was appointed to carry out specific tasks relating to the organization of events such as the International Film Festival of India. This does not make the ESG owner of or authority for the building in which it has been temporarily housed. By its own admission, the ESG is to be shifted out of the said premises and have therefore no further stake in the adaptive re-use or future use of the building.
5. In our opinion, the use of the building as the headquarters of the International Film Festival of India is appropriate. The building contained a hospital with a rich history (being Asia’s oldest medical college etc.) and was in public domain. It must therefore remain in public domain.
6. It is located in the vicinity of the Goa Kala Academy, the INOX Cinema complex, the Children Park, the Francisco Luis Gomes Garden, the Campal Heritage Precinct and the Maquinez Palace (now refurbished for the IFFI mini theatres and offices) and must therefore remain in the cultural domain. It must be put to some cultural use befitting its public domain and cultural history.
Despite this, if the building is to be vacated and put to some use other than the headquarters of the International Film Festival of India, the Goa Heritage Action Group suggests the following:
1) That the building remain in the public domain and not be given over to some use that will turn it into premises that exist through and furthers a policy of exclusion.
2) That the building be put to some cultural use and not be given over to commercial, retail, corporate or mercantile use that directly contradicts its century-old function.
3) The building is located on the Dayanand Bandodkar Marg overlooking the Mandovi River and India’s longest (7 km) river-fronting promenade. The river, the riverfront and the promenade allow free access to the said building. The building is people friendly and easily reachable by members of the public. This status must be maintained. The river, riverfront and promenade are for the use of the Goan public, visitors to Goa and for their recreation. None of these features have been manipulated or perpetrated for private commercial use. There is no reason, therefore why the building should be made private and inaccessible to the public.
4) There a number of public and popular uses that the building can be put to in the field of art and culture. Panaji does not have a single museum that has easy and pleasurable public access. The Goa State Museum located at the new Patto Complex lacks suitable architecture, imagination or visitors. It is currently housed in the vicinity of congested business complexes and a garbage dump. This is not a suitable location for a state museum. One possible use for the Old GMC could be to house the Goa State Museum. It has public access, a pleasurable location, a building with history and befitting a cause such as a state museum of a historic state such as Goa.
5) The Old GMC can also be re-used as a state art complex. It has enough open space for large exhibits such as sculptures, installations, etc. It also has large halls with high wall spaces and ceiling spaces for works of art. Aparanta, an experiment in art held in the building recently, was a huge success. The location fronting the banks of the river Mandovi lends itself to a state-owned art gallery. The Old GMC has the potential to become an art hub for the state; to showcase artistic and creative talent of the state.
6) The alumni of doctors and nurses of the Old GMC have already expressed the desire to see the building put to use as a museum on the medical history of Asia, India and Goa. This will be a unique concept in an appropriate heritage building. Conversely, there is nothing unique about a commercial mall with standard branded products that have universal appeal for high-end shoppers. On the other hand, a medical history museum will be unique and will showcase the history of medicine and surgery from all over Asia, an appropriate and unique use for Asia’s oldest medical college.
7) There is ample parking available in the parking lot of the INOX Cinema for the flow of visitors who are expected at a state museum or art gallery. A commercial shopping complex (mall) on the other hand requires a large parking lot that is currently not available in the complex. Keeping the use in the public cultural domain will not be an additional burden on the parking problems of the complex (one has only to consider the additional traffic burden placed by shopping malls in central Mumbai’s former mill lands to appreciate the potential problem).
8) The area to the north of the Old GMC is Panaji’s market area. It is already experiencing a severe deficit of parking and traffic congestion problems. Most malls and shopping complexes, amusement parks etc. that are being constructed in India have been constructed in areas outside the congested parts of the cities and outside central business districts. This gives visitors of the commercial complexes ample space and scope to enjoy the facilities there while protecting sensitive heritage buildings, complexes, natural sites and historic precincts.
9) Goa Heritage Action Group is not against the concept of commercial use and adaptive re-use per se. Small heritage structures have been given a new lease in life (Goa Galleria Velha, Panjim Inn, SOSA’s, Horseshoe restaurant, etc.) simply by adaptive re-use and change of use from residential to commercial. These properties are considered success stories by the GHAG. The popular Fontainhas Festival of the Arts combined heritage and art and showcased such properties. The difference is that these properties were privately owned and their change to commercial use has helped them survive, flourish and prosper while upgrading their heritage status and value. This was difficult for the property owners to do earlier. We emphasise again that the Old GMC building is not a privately owned property where the owner is struggling against all odds to survive and revitalize his property. The Old GMC is a public property, owned by the Government of Goa by default and cannot have the same reasons for commercialization. It is the bounden duty of the Government of the state and the country to protect its heritage and it cannot cite financial difficulties as a reason for turning a heritage building into a commercial complex. Moreover, Article 14 of the Constitution of India assures its citizens of the protection of its natural and man-made, cultural heritage and its preservation for posterity.
10) The ESG and the Government of Goa (through the GSSIDC) has recently put the Maquinez Palace to adaptive re-use for the headquarters of the International Film Festival of India. The Palace is an older building than the Old GMC building. If the older building could be put to a suitable and appropriate adaptive re-use there is no reason why the later building cannot be put to an equally suitable and appropriate adaptive re-use.
In conclusion, the Old GMC is a unique historic asset to Panaji and to Goa by having been intimately a public building, and one which continues to live large in the public memory for its role in housing the Medical College. A state government that actively promotes tourism in the state by holding up Goa’s well-recognised historical and cultural assets cannot cite lack of funds as a reason for turning over a heritage building to private enterprise. Neither can the state government, through its departments or any other entities, presume to present a private commercial use as the only acceptable use of the Old GMC building without first genuinely and transparently including the public in the discussion. Panaji is a growing city which is already experiencing escalating problems of urban congestion, traffic and pressure on public spaces and public utilities. The public, the city administration and the government of Goa can use this opportunity to embark on a creative and consultative use of the Old GMC building, and make cultural inclusion here, in the spirit of public domain, a model for similar urban questions in India.
Yours sincerely,
Yatin Kakodkar
Chairman
