Our next generation may find it interesting when they review the architectural history in the future, a grand solemn courthouse was once a vivid , public beloved, creative blackbox theatre, the transformation worth a legend in Macau architecture history !
I couldn’t help but wonder how the history of the courthouse and the history in between would be written, especially it has been debates and competition on the reuse of the courthouse in the past 12 years.
The core of the debate focused on how to maximize the effectiveness of the building, which should be able to be a city landmark and reconnect the surrounding communities from a greater perspective, so we can keep the building fitting in the modern context and maintain the cultural value of the building at the same time. It would be fore-sighting for the government to turn the courthouse into a Blackbox Theater, but the decision now under the current political framework is also a marginal victory.
At the final stage, the debate over the reuse of the courthouse has been focus on either new central library or a blackbox theatre, both would be under the administrative of ICM. Bargaining power matters, it just shows the Black box theater does not have bargain power to overturn the final decision. what is the new use of the central library may not be as important as we think, what matter is what kind of land use can overturn the decision and maintain the original design of the library. We just need a good excuse. But who knows, maybe in 20 years it would become a theater again , he who has health has hope. There is a time for everything, nothing stays
