Heritage Buildings

I happen to read the column in Sin Chew Daily on comment by one of the editor 鄭丁賢, his two articles on the conservation of old houses are very meaningful. I hoped I can translate it. Thank you for the articles....


1. 鄭丁賢‧老屋的明天
2009-09-28 18:26

話說陳禎祿之女陳金瑞女士，斥資購買兩間荷蘭街老屋，送給新加坡大學。

新大建築系派了學者和專家，花了幾年時間修復老屋。

他們沒有把老屋雅緻的屋瓦換成眩目的琉璃瓦；沒有把石灰牆打掉，砌起洋灰牆；沒有挖出峇峇地磚，鋪上時尚的羅馬瓷磚；沒有換掉屋樑，鋪上石膏天花板；沒有把屋子漆上大紅色；沒有掛上大燈籠……。

老屋修復，感謝老天，沒有變成中國式的妓院

新加坡的專家，知道他們的任務不是蓋新房子，而是要老屋還原。

修復過程中，一磚一瓦一木，都要編號記錄，可以使用的就留下，不復使用才想辦法找回同樣的質材。

整修之後，按照原來圖樣，一件一件的裝回去。

這是向歷史負責，對文化交待的態度。

置身其中，讓人回到150年前，峇峇和娘惹的馬六甲。

說來簡單，其實繁雜困難；單單是屋瓦，就有大學問。

一般房屋的屋頂，是用排水管把雨水從屋頂排入地上溝裡。

老屋的屋頂，獨具巧思，使用兩種瓦片，一是向上，稱為“笑瓦，一是向下，稱為“哭瓦”；兩者相扣，鋪出秩序井然的屋頂。

（文化人小曼有次從樓上窗口望出，荷蘭街的屋頂櫛比鱗次，好像一本本古代線裝書，不由驚嘆這是一片“明朝的天空”。）
下雨時，雨水從屋簷均勻滴下，雨水就是天然的幕簾，稱為“雨簾”；賞心悅目之外，也有實際的排水功能。

這就是老屋之美。

如果不懂得，或不珍惜文物價值，只要找幾個印尼工人，一天時間就可以拆掉屋頂，釘上新樑，鋪上新瓦，裝上排水管，費用一萬幾千令吉，保證不會漏水。

然而，古屋也就毀了。

荷蘭街許多其它老屋，一些已經是鳥糞堆積地；一些被改建得花枝招展，彷如企街的賣笑女郎；另一些則破落損壞，等待拯救。

這兩間老屋獲得特別眷顧，何其幸運。

政治人物和官員，不小心收到一張“世界文化遺產”的通知書，卻不知道文化遺產是何物，只是急著將之賣錢。

只有少數民間志工，以及像陳金瑞的智者，投入搶救老屋，不讓它們成為廢墟，也不恥於淪為現代娼館。

如果大馬文化部和甲州政府依然無動於衷，應該考慮把整條荷蘭街外包，由新加坡、英國和荷蘭政府、大學來承包修復和日後之管理。

如此，老屋才有明天。



2. 鄭丁賢‧荷蘭街腫瘤
2009-09-27 18:21

海峽第一華人陳禎祿最後一名在世女兒――陳金瑞女士，花了150萬新元（約馬幣360萬令吉），買了兩棟馬六甲荷蘭街老屋，送給新加坡大學，連修復費也墊了。

一般人會摸不著頭腦，奇怪這位89歲的老太太，是不是嫌錢太多，買屋送人；而且，還是送給外國大學，不是馬來亞大學，或馬六甲州政府。

會不會是老太太年紀大了，忘了馬來西亞和新加坡40年前已經分家，如今是一邊一國。

錯了！陳女士真不虧是陳禎祿後人，腦筋之清醒，心胸之恢宏，真是讓人尊敬，佩服。

作為典型海峽華人，陳女士最瞭解海峽華人的文化和文物；對荷蘭街老屋，也最有感情。

老屋不是用來養燕子，也不是觀光勝地，賺取國內外遊客的嘖嘖稱奇；老屋甚至不是用來獲取“世界文化遺產”的典當物。

真正的老屋，是一些人特有的文化，一個時代的見證，一個童年的記憶。

而這些文化、見證和記憶，已經快要湮滅，或是裹上一層廉價的商業糖衣。

不是老屋不行，而是大馬不行。

我的老友何國榮，在荷蘭街認真的經營文物館。幾年前，有人買下隔壁老屋，改了門窗，擋住陽光，把150年的老屋，改為燕屋。

燕屋的濕氣，很快的滲透隔壁的屋子；燕子的排泄物，也污染了週圍環境。

150年的瑰麗建築，成為鳥糞堆集地。

還有人買了老屋，干脆整間拆掉，用洋灰磚塊疊成燕屋，發他們的燕窩財。

也有人搭馬六甲旅遊業的順風車，把荷蘭街老屋租下或買下，找一批印尼工人將之改頭換面，“裝修”成為不倫不類的媚俗怪屋，然後開門做起遊客生意。

一條狹窄的荷蘭街，還是市內交通要道之一，車輛長驅直入，一路鳴笛嚇人，車後還有團團黑煙噴入人肺；遊客和路人閃閃躲躲，一不小心，可能被車輾過，或是掉入水溝。

荷蘭街已經患上腫瘤，但是，政府不知文物為何物，或根本不在乎，只懂得把它當成招牌，向外吹水誇耀。

如此下去，腫瘤惡化成癌症可期。

或許，我們得承認，馬來西亞人沒有能力管理自己的古蹟文物。

最好的方法，像陳金瑞女士般，把它送給外國人，就讓外國人來幫忙保護吧。

星洲日報／馬荷加尼‧作者：鄭丁賢‧2009.09.27

There is another good article by 陳耀威, a respected heritage builder/conservationist in Penang:

3. 建築雞姦
2008-07-27 10:40


古跡或歷史建築物保存方法有很多種：從內到外完整的保留，其一。外殼保留，裡面改造，其二。部分（通常前段）保留，其餘加以改建或增建，其三。還有一種表皮式的做法，就是把原有的建築拆得只剩一層立面表皮，內部再來新建，或是把舊的門面鑲在新建的大樓上。

這第四種方法叫做“立面主義”（facadelism），尤其是在保護歷史街區中，只為了或只能保留沿街建築的歷史風貌和訊息。這種被國際文化遺產保護界嘲諷為皮相、臉譜式的保護，大多流行於90年代，我國的首都吉隆坡尤其盛行。在馬新，由於城市的老店屋絕大多數都有五腳基，這種大樓就退縮到那5尺之後，緊抓牆皮拔地而起。

不管是第三或第四種，多數是勉為其難的古跡保存方式（地方政府的保護指南或條規如是允許），而背後新建的建築軀體尺度、風格表情，則透露業主和建築師對待老建築的態度。

通常的例子是在“老弱矮小”的老建築背後，強蓋一棟大樓。溫柔一點的，新舊之間的距離會拉遠一點（如檳城某開放大學）。有的則貼得很近，但假裝和老建築穿同樣的服飾。最慘不忍睹的是，超高、現代的冷酷表情，硬硬從背後緊貼“霸上而起”，簡直是雞姦老建築的姿勢。

星洲日報／張圖寫意．陳耀威．27／07／2008

I hope they do not mind that I report their articles in my blog, the two heritage city of Penang and Malacca, are facing some renewal of conservation of old buildings. But the conservation by politician and businessmen sometime did not really restore the buildings to its old glory, but to do a cosmetic surgery to convert the old building for their respective modern usage. It is just like what Tan have said it is the rape of heritage buildings.

If the state government are not able to manage the heritage building, it is time to employ the expert from the foreign countries. We have to do it fast before it is too late. Otherwise the heritage buildings will be gone to its pseudo-conservation.

I hope the re-posting of these three articles will bring awareness to the people of the two states, especially the politician. Please be very careful, when re-built or when on the building conservation projects. Seek the opinion of the expert. Otherwise let foreign professional manage the Heritage zone. It will be better for the future.

I have seen colonial shops renovated with imported doors, window, and deco, which is not the original building style, but imported Chinese style. The buildings are not matched with its surrounding, the renovated buildings are totally different from our colonial style. Please take note that even we may have derived some technique and style from China, but we have also borrowed Indian, Anglo-Saxon, Indonesia, and Siamese influences. It is the unique strait settlement style; definitely not pure Chinese style....

Tan also mentioned about many ways of the pseudo-conservation. By visiting the Northam Road in Penang, you can see many of these styles. I was also wonder why even the government or statutory bodies(EPF,SOCSO,Anti corruption agencies etc),are also not aware of the building conservation. There are high rise office building, built on the location of heritage building, some preserved the bungalow at their frontage, and behind is their modern high rise buildings. When I first see these building, I nearly vomited and begin to worry for the old city. I wonder why a government department will need to have tall high rise building, to have their state or regional offices in the heritage zone or historical road, where the cost is high. They, as people elected government should know the value of heritage and cost saving. The competition of each government department and agencies to have their regional or state offices built in expensive high rise building and in the high cost location , is waste of people money. I wonder how many of these building are fully occupied. Did they really need to occupy such place instead of using the money in conservation of historical buildings?. The foreign businesses like Chartered Bank, Hong Kong Bank, are doing much more for heritage building conservation. Look at the Beach Street, their effort can be seen in many of the old buildings which are now still proudly maintain and still remained. It is a pity that local politician, government, and businesses did not appreciate the heritage.....

Some of the advertisement material are so big, it has covered up the beauty of the architecture, of the colonial shops, or even the houses. Did the local council appreciate the beauty of the buildings, is there any law to guide the owner on proper put up of advertisement? This is another disrespect to the heritage. Is the local council rules out of dates, and not suitable for conservation of heritage buildings, then it need to review urgently....

The hu and ha will soon be over; did Penang and Malacca still wonder what to do with their Heritage City status?

No wonder the heritage lovers are worried......

"把它送給外國人，就讓外國人來幫忙保護?。應該考慮外包，由新加坡、英國和荷蘭政府、大學來承包修復和日後之管理"。

I am really worry..... 老屋幾时才有明天.....。

Is Malaysia boleh? 大馬行不行?.......