According to a local architect, the KK city authorities have displayed a complete lack of understanding on ways to preserve the heritage site.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah conservation group, Heritage Sabah, is outraged that the city’s oldest landmark, the Atkinson Clock Tower, is once again under threat and this time by clumsy slope repair works taking place below it.
Repair works were poorly planned, visually ugly and not ‘heritage-sensitive’, said the NGO.
“We were gobsmacked by how awful the site looks now”, said its president, architect Richard Nelson Sokial after visiting the site today following complaints by the public.
He said the repair works done demonstrates a complete lack of understanding about the significance of a heritage site and how best to showcase its architectural and landscape features.
Sokial recalled that in its response to the ACT slope erosion issue last year, the NGO’s volunteers had worked tirelessly around the clock since early November 2013 and had even taken the initiative to invite slope retention specialists for advice on how to prevent further erosion, while maintaining the pristine natural beauty of the ACT landscape.
He noted that based on their expert opinion, Heritage Sabah had put together a comprehensive proposal to build a segmented retaining wall as part of a proposed community outsource project, with additional recommendations for future beautification works according to known heritage preservation standards.
“We sent our written proposal to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment on 11th November 2013, followed up with a courtesy visit to the minister on 25th November 2013 to discuss the issue.
“Work on the slope was taken over by the relevant local authorities and commenced on 11th December 2013.
“We were given assurance that the matter would be swiftly resolved without requiring further assistance from us (HS),” he said in a statement yesterday.
Sokial, who has campaigned tirelessly for Sabah’s local heritage preservation for almost 10 years, contended that there are better, more efficient designs for slope drainage at the site, but the authorities did not seem to care how it was done.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah conservation group, Heritage Sabah, is outraged that the city’s oldest landmark, the Atkinson Clock Tower, is once again under threat and this time by clumsy slope repair works taking place below it.
Repair works were poorly planned, visually ugly and not ‘heritage-sensitive’, said the NGO.
“We were gobsmacked by how awful the site looks now”, said its president, architect Richard Nelson Sokial after visiting the site today following complaints by the public.
He said the repair works done demonstrates a complete lack of understanding about the significance of a heritage site and how best to showcase its architectural and landscape features.
Sokial recalled that in its response to the ACT slope erosion issue last year, the NGO’s volunteers had worked tirelessly around the clock since early November 2013 and had even taken the initiative to invite slope retention specialists for advice on how to prevent further erosion, while maintaining the pristine natural beauty of the ACT landscape.
He noted that based on their expert opinion, Heritage Sabah had put together a comprehensive proposal to build a segmented retaining wall as part of a proposed community outsource project, with additional recommendations for future beautification works according to known heritage preservation standards.
“We sent our written proposal to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment on 11th November 2013, followed up with a courtesy visit to the minister on 25th November 2013 to discuss the issue.
“Work on the slope was taken over by the relevant local authorities and commenced on 11th December 2013.
“We were given assurance that the matter would be swiftly resolved without requiring further assistance from us (HS),” he said in a statement yesterday.
Sokial, who has campaigned tirelessly for Sabah’s local heritage preservation for almost 10 years, contended that there are better, more efficient designs for slope drainage at the site, but the authorities did not seem to care how it was done.
He said the NGO was willing to share its expertise along with other relevant bodies such as the Sabah Museum and Sabah Tourism Board before deciding to carry out ‘additional’ drainage work.
The current drainage design was “unsightly” and had ruined the beauty of the tower, he said.
“Some parts of the staircase’s existing retaining wall dates back to the 1950s, including a rectangular indentation for a commemorative plaque for the clock tower that went missing after its Diamond Jubilee renovation in 1959.
“While we acknowledge – and even welcome the long-awaited upgrade for the staircase (to the tower), the immediate area around the clock tower should not be simply hacked for making drains, etc without proper studies and discussion.
“We found that even the concrete mix used for the new drains does not blend well with the original retaining wall and is very unsightly.
“Heritage site preservation requires specialist contractors who can do proper site measurement, study of the historical site, identifying important site aspects such as public access and circulation and knowing the type of similar material used for any original constructions”, he stressed.
Sokial also claimed to have witnessed a tourist visiting the Atkinson Clock Tower tripping and falling into the deep concrete drain constructed by the contractor along the top of the steep slope, in an attempt to explore the clock tower surroundings and capture better snapshots of the city’s famous landmark.
“In light of all the bad publicity that our country is currently facing, the last thing we need in Sabah is to reinforce that sentiment with a display of poor public works done on taxpayer’s expense, carried out without any indication on whether a proper appointment procedure was followed or if the proposed works were based on any understanding of heritage conservation principles”, he said.
He thus urged the state government to take note that designing public infrastructure for heritage-sensitive sites should not be simply awarded to random parties or associates for convenience’s sake.
“Without proper knowledge of how to deal with preserving the significance of the site’s historical context, the end result will inevitably become an eyesore and worse – a waste of public funds.
“In the future, selection of contractors appointed to handle upgrading or restoration works on Sabah’s heritage sites should to be based on experience, technical merit and their ability to demonstrate a keen understanding of heritage preservation guidelines and policy,” he suggested.
He also urged the public and all parties involved to familiarise themselves with the law provisions for ancient monuments and historical sites as laid out by the Antiquities and Treasure Trove Enactment 1977 as well as the Cultural (Heritage) Conservation Enactment 1997.
Tag: Sabah, conservation, clock, signal hill, antique, Atkinson
FMT Borneo Plus
The current drainage design was “unsightly” and had ruined the beauty of the tower, he said.
“Some parts of the staircase’s existing retaining wall dates back to the 1950s, including a rectangular indentation for a commemorative plaque for the clock tower that went missing after its Diamond Jubilee renovation in 1959.
“While we acknowledge – and even welcome the long-awaited upgrade for the staircase (to the tower), the immediate area around the clock tower should not be simply hacked for making drains, etc without proper studies and discussion.
“We found that even the concrete mix used for the new drains does not blend well with the original retaining wall and is very unsightly.
“Heritage site preservation requires specialist contractors who can do proper site measurement, study of the historical site, identifying important site aspects such as public access and circulation and knowing the type of similar material used for any original constructions”, he stressed.
Sokial also claimed to have witnessed a tourist visiting the Atkinson Clock Tower tripping and falling into the deep concrete drain constructed by the contractor along the top of the steep slope, in an attempt to explore the clock tower surroundings and capture better snapshots of the city’s famous landmark.
“In light of all the bad publicity that our country is currently facing, the last thing we need in Sabah is to reinforce that sentiment with a display of poor public works done on taxpayer’s expense, carried out without any indication on whether a proper appointment procedure was followed or if the proposed works were based on any understanding of heritage conservation principles”, he said.
He thus urged the state government to take note that designing public infrastructure for heritage-sensitive sites should not be simply awarded to random parties or associates for convenience’s sake.
“Without proper knowledge of how to deal with preserving the significance of the site’s historical context, the end result will inevitably become an eyesore and worse – a waste of public funds.
“In the future, selection of contractors appointed to handle upgrading or restoration works on Sabah’s heritage sites should to be based on experience, technical merit and their ability to demonstrate a keen understanding of heritage preservation guidelines and policy,” he suggested.
He also urged the public and all parties involved to familiarise themselves with the law provisions for ancient monuments and historical sites as laid out by the Antiquities and Treasure Trove Enactment 1977 as well as the Cultural (Heritage) Conservation Enactment 1997.
Tag: Sabah, conservation, clock, signal hill, antique, Atkinson
FMT Borneo Plus
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Important - The views expressed and the links provided on our comment pages are the personal views of individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sabah Report.