Some of the Municipal buildings in Goa show the passage of time and architectural style. The old Municipal building of Margao located near the Old Market looks like a typical old Portuguese mansion. It had shops on the ground floor and a large hall on the first floor. I don't think the young lady waiting for a bus knows that blood was once shed at this place on September 21, 1890 when Portuguese police shot down thirteen local supporters of the 'Partido Indiano' in a post election fracas. The protestors believed the elections were rigged. I recall there's a mando which records that tragic day.
The present Margao Municipal building completed its centenary in 2005 . Endless arches and masonry piers front this seat of power. The seat is a bit worn out as the city fathers (and mothers) have been playing musical chairs for quite some years now. More on this building in an earlier post..
The Municipal building at Mapusa reflects the Art Deco mood of that time. It sports curved balcony parapets and a clean minimalistic composition with none of the earlier Portuguese style of decoration.
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The Panjim Municipal building is more modern in look, with its fins and chajjas and straight lines. Panjim Municipality is now Panjim Municipal Corporation . The change must have filled the coffers, now they will surely build a new edifice more worthy of a Corporation.
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The Bicholim Municipality is a straight forward present day structure built by a straight forward present day contractor and probably designed by a straight forward present government architect. Amen. .
6 comments:
It would help if dates could be added to when these buildings were erected/opened. Thank you.
A good cadidate for this comparison would be the Vasco municipality building. I've heard that it used to be a military hospital during the Portuguese era, and it sure does have the look of it. Another grandiose building (a ruin now) is the one lying in Vasco between the old Cine Vasco and the V. M. Salgaocar office building surrounded by the municipal market shops.
Jose que pena no coracao ver o estado de isse predio da primera foto da dor no coracao..
real shame the condition of that buildind!!!heart breaking...
your friend omar perez
kuky@ozu.es
muito obrigados pelas fotos, trabalho fino e delicado...saludos
OMAR PEREZ.
Thank you the input about the Camara Municipal edifices. Though the photios and the concept is great, I wish to suggest that all the Municipal Buildings in Goa - Original and the New ones be clubbed together and it would make a beautiful time line of infra-structure related edifices.
Hi
How about covering the Portuguese Tribunals of Goa.
(Margao, Bicholim, Quepem ...)
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