They may not be responsible for the physical degradation of Panaji’s heritage buildings, but the many stores on M G Road in the State’s capital are certainly ruining the beautiful vistas that have existed far longer than some brands have. All apparel and sports brands, the style and build of the signages used, completely mar the beauty of the heritage structures within which they are housed. Some of them have completely covered pillars and the façade with composite panels, while other have made changes to the façade. In a modern building, this could perhaps be overlooked, but in buildings that have been standing for the better half, or more than, a century, this is just criminal, in a sense.
In a state that has a multi-cultural heritage and which has
structures that go back centuries, there are laws in place to
protect said structures. In heritage conservation zones, changes
to façade have to be approved by a state conservation
committee. Even then, there are
stringent guidelines. But outside
conservation zones, the laws are
practically non-existent. But, there
is no doubt that the ethos of these
structures can still be maintained,
despite the lack of legal parameters
to protect them. Commercial sensibilities
cannot take over and mar the beauty of heritage structures,
no matter where they are located.
Laws exist to protect and maintain heritage structures all
over the world, even when it comes to commercial interests. In
Toronto, the brand has to respect the sensibilities of the area,
and everything from frontage to signages have to fit into the
heritage attributes. All materials must be mentioned in drawings
submitted to the conservation authority. Similar guidelines
exist in other places in Canada, the US and South Africa.
In Lisbon, the Baixa district is a great example of how a heritage
area was rebuilt after a devastating natural disaster, and
commercial ventures respected the attributes of the structures
enough to ensure that their brand signages blended with the
look of the district.
This is where policy is important. There must be a heritage
conservation authority that makes note of all structures
in Goa, not matter whether they are located within a heritage
conservation area or elsewhere. Care must be taken to ensure
that while these structures can lease out space to commercial
ventures, which is necessary as the rent involved can be utilised
for the upkeep of the structure, the sensibilities and the
attributes of the area are respected. All establishments need to
submit detailed proposals and they must be adhered to. Otherwise,
we might as well allow anyone and everyone to wreak
havoc on the buildings and change them at will.
