Historic Centre of Macao

• Housing (Including high-rise buildings; Potential visual impact of new developments)
• Land conversion (Land reclamation)
• Management systems / Management Plan (Inadequacy of the current management systems; Lack of Management Plan)

On 30 November 2020, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1110/documents/, in which the following activities are reported:

• The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR) has completed the project “Master Plan of the Macao Special Administrative Region (2020-2040)” to protect cultural heritage and maintain the visual corridors and protection zones of the property and the entire city of Macao, including the New Urban Zones. Progress has been made with the Protection and Management Plan for the Historic Centre of Macao, which is undergoing revision and required legislative processes before submission to the World Heritage Centre. Macao has well-developed processes for the conduct of Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) using two different approaches, depending on the circumstances of the project, with a focus on the conservation of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and on avoiding or mitigating other potential adverse impacts;
• The protection of the visual corridors linked to the Guia Lighthouse is acknowledged as important, and a cautious approach is applied to nearby construction projects. The HIA for the unfinished building project at 18-20 Calçada de Gaio, close to the Guia Lighthouse, concluded that completing the construction project at its current height is a reasonable technical solution that balances heritage protection and urban development. All new construction projects developed around Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues comply with height limits set in the 2008 Order of the Chief Executive to protect the visual corridors linked to the Guia Lighthouse and maintain the surrounding landscape setting;
• An urban design plan has been initiated for the New Urban Zone A, and a transit line will be developed underground and under the sea to avoid impacts on the surrounding landscape setting. The State Party is committed to liaising with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies regarding the planning and construction phases of the New Urban Zones and relevant development proposals;
• Public education about heritage protection and increased public awareness of heritage values have been pro-actively addressed through promotional activities, which inspire and encourage the active role of the general public and government organizations in conserving and celebrating the heritage values of the property.

Since the 43rd session of the Committee (Baku, 2019), the World Heritage Centre has received a series of third-party information, notably on the construction of high-rise buildings in the vicinity of the property, which were transmitted to the State Party for comments. The State Party provided a response through a letter dated 29 May 2020, including an HIA for the unfinished building located at 18-20 Calçada de Gaio. A Technical Review provided by ICOMOS was transmitted to the State Party on 26 November 2020.

The programme of public education initiatives undertaken to increase public awareness and to encourage conservation and celebration of the heritage values of the property is welcome. Progress has been reported with the Master Plan of the Macao Special Administrative Region and with the Protection and Management Plan for the property, but the extended timeframe to complete the necessary regulatory instruments and processes is concerning, given the role of the Management Plan in conserving the OUV of the property. Nevertheless, it remains important that the Management Plan is submitted to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, as soon as possible and prior to its adoption and implementation. The implementation of HIA processes will further contribute to the ongoing conservation of the property.

ICOMOS provided advice on the unfinished high-rise building project at 18-20 Calçada de Gaio and the construction of high-rise buildings on Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues in its November 2020 technical review. The HIA for the unfinished high-rise building at 18-20 Calçada de Gaio reasonably concluded that reducing the original height of the approved design and finishing the project with the current built height option would not fundamentally affect the OUV of the property, even though there will be some effects on visual corridors between the Mount Fortress and Guia Fortress and Lighthouse. However, it is advised that the design of the upper floors of this building should be revised to be more transparent and less bulky to lessen the visual impact.

With respect to the high-rise buildings on Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues, it is recommended that a detailed urban design and conservation planning study be undertaken for the length of the Avenida, taking into account existing site conditions, legal and planning constraints and HIA requirements. A reduction of the present maximum height limit along the Avenida (as determined in 2008) should be considered and a moratorium placed on new construction approvals until such a time the outcomes from the study have been formally adopted.

Finally, it is recommended that the emerging urban design plan for the New Urban Zones be submitted to the World Heritage Centre as part of the State Party’s commitment to liaise with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies regarding the planning and construction phases of the New Urban Zones and relevant development proposals, including the underground/undersea transit line.