I refer to your lead letter, “National Archives” by Satish Nakched, (FT 15/01/2016) which I have been meaning to reply to for some days.
The points made for preserving this building are well observed and should be followed through. Fiji is in danger of losing too much of its visual heritage. This is not because of malice or the halting of progress, but a lack of awareness of how to preserve the best, or the ordinary, of the past to contribute to the future.
I have seen Fiji over the past 50 years, first as an architectural student and now as a semi-retired citizen. I have thought for some time that expert help is needed from a small team of specialists with complimentary skills that could be called upon to guide and encourage. Both government and non-government commercial organisations could draw upon such expertise on issues relating to the fabric we live in, both past and present.
This idea should not be mistaken for conservative meddling, but rather looking at what we have, what we wish to do, and ask how it could be made better. Not all solutions are necessarily expensive.
I offer a single case in point.
For years I watched the decline and decay of the Grand Pacific Hotel with great sadness. After many false starts it is now reborn and its facade looks out once again over Albert Park, a fantastic achievement by any standard.
I humbly suggest, however, that on a point of architectural criticism, it may have been done a little better.
The new, very necessary commercial expansions of the hotel, sitting on either side of the original building, are in visual competition with each other, old versus new. This is not about whether one likes new or old architecture but how they can exist in harmony.
It is not too late even now, to plant a vertical visual screen, perhaps fine tall palms (Areca?), in front of and reasonably close to the new elements on either side of the original facade. This would draw attention to the old and loved, while screening without sacrificing the new.
Just helping them co-exist. Difficult problem, cheap solution.
I’m sure the National Archives, among others, could benefit from this same mix of preservation and entrepreneurial drive.
Some years ago I worked on a new museum project in Venlo, Holland. We found that the fastest growing area of historic/current interest was for the photography gallery.
A fantastic archive is here, work needs to be done to the building. It could pay for itself if well marketed in this age of tourism.
So come on Government at all levels, come on EU and others, come on philanthropists, there are opportunities waiting to be realised. This is Fiji’s heritage, and its future, we are talking about.
