Semi-Detached Houses
雙子屋
Copyright © Cultural Mapping 2020
This elegant and charming house was built along a street in the area of the old Mong-Há village. The construction of the road, provoked much discontent in a past context of already pronounced tensions between the Portuguese and Chinese populations.
After this arduous period, the Avenida do Coronel Mesquita was used for officials’ houses, including the Former Dormitories of Civil Servants (Green Townhouses) and this graceful house occupying the number 2F. This building was built in 1961 by Raúl Chorão Ramalho, an important architect who stood out among modernist Portuguese architects. Many have pointed out the particularities of the works of Chorao Ramalho, such as the special attention to the environment, the local architectural traditions, with remarkable care for city setting, keeping a collaborative attitude between tradition and modernism. In this building his style, beliefs and spirit are fully expressed. The particularity of this building is truly how remarkable the regard for the local culture has been during the conception of the project. In fact, as explained by the director of the Architects’ Association of Macao, this house is an example of the best lessons to be learned from modernism: freely engaging with the communities, engaging with the local techniques, engaging with the local materials and with the way people use the space. By doing this, the building becomes much richer. It is not a building imposed to the city, but is a construction that, by paying attention to the local context, complements the urban setting, improving it. This is an attitude that is still relevant today and particularly important for Macao.
The double twin house has not very much changed and now still is in good condition even compared to the picture taken in 1990. Currently, this building has been separated into four buildings of which one has now become the Headquarters of the Architects’ Association of Macao.
在八十年代，葡萄牙人曾與澳門望廈村的華人存在明顯的緊張關係，澳葡政府更在村落開闢美副將大馬路。在這段緊張時期過後，澳葡政府在新開闢的美副將大馬路建有不少平房供政府官員居住，包括建於1936年的前公務員宿舍（綠屋仔）。前身為高級公務員住所的雙子屋亦於1961年被建於美副將大馬路。
這座優雅迷人的屋子由勞爾所建，他是一位在現代主義建築時期中脫穎而出的葡萄牙建築師。許多人提出勞爾作品的獨特性，包括他對周圍環境的注意力和對當地建築傳統的尊重，他對城市整體的特別關注和他保持傳統與現代主義之間的協同態度更進一步促成了這座建築的特殊性，因雙子屋充分地呈現了他的風格，建築信念和精神，還有他在構思期間對澳門建築文化的重視。實際上，如澳門建築師協會理事長所述，這座屋子是現代主義建築中最好的例子之一，這能體現於建築物與社區的和諧。勞爾在設計上充分地考慮了空間的使用，並融入澳門本地的建築技術和材料，種種因素讓建築物整體變得更加豐富。雙子屋並不是只用於加強城市特色，而是通過關注當地環境來改善城市整體環境。這座屋子現已分為四獨棟，其中一棟用作澳門建築師協會會址，以另一種方式把勞爾作為建築師的態度傳承下去。
“Butterfly Method” Analysis：
The analysis of the rational part is based on a conversation with the architects who are experienced and informative. The director of the architect association of Macao considered the values of the Semi-Detached houses according to its whole structural design. He mentioned that this building is a modernist demonstration of critical regionalism since it demonstrates how to pay attention to local materials and the local context. The director of the Architect’s Association of Macao truly believes that the houses are, in fact, quite valid for the future and present. However, when values of the building have been analyzed based on the community’s views, the answers which have been given are different. Most of the local residents are interested in the building itself but don’t have any emotional connection to it.
建築物的整體價值分析不僅強調對理性的關注，而且感注重感性的認知。與經驗豐富的建築師進行深入的訪談，並透過獲得的資訊來對建築物進行理性層面的分析。澳門建築師協會理事長在訪談中提及，分析雙子屋的價值理應從它的整體建築結構考慮。作為一座現代建築，雙子屋承載了建築師對地區傳統的尊重，包括：建築材料和建築技術，並植根於地區社會的整體環境。澳門建築師協會理事長更認為這座建築物是展示批判地域性主義的良好例子，並且對現在和未來都有一定的效用性。然而，根據社區大眾的觀點來對建築物進行感性層面的分析時，得出的結果卻是截然相反，大多數當地居民對建築物本身存在一定的興趣，但他們亦坦然與建築物之間並沒有任何情感上的連繫。
References:
Architects Asscoation Macau. 2008. Archotecture Macau am N13
Botas, João. 2018. “Obras do arquitecto Raúl Chorão Ramalho”. Retrieved from http://macauantigo.blogspot.com/2018/04/obras-do-arquitecto-raul-chorao-ramalho.html
Botas, João. 2010. “Arquitecto Chorão Ramalho: 1914-2001” Retrieved from http://macauantigo.blogspot.com/2010/01/arquitecto-chorao-ramalho-1914-2001.html)
Freitas, Jani Anjo Travassos. 2012. Tradição e Modernidade na obra de Raul Chorão Ramalho na Madeira. Retrieved from https://sigarra.up.pt/fbaup/pt/pub_geral.pub_view?pi_pub_base_id=23473
Fernanades, José Manuel; Janeiro, Maria de Lurdes; Janeiro, Maria João. 2004. MACAU-Cidade, Territorio e Arquitecturas. Instituto Internacional de macau: Macao
OpenHouseMacau. 2018. “AAM Headquarters”. Retrieved from https://www.openhousemacau.com/plan/aam-headquarters/
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