Along with the conclusion of restoration of 491-501 Merchant Road and launching the Living Restoration exhibition, Yangon Heritage Trust (YHT) installed a commemorative Blue Plaque at the building as the first building in Yangon to be conserved according to international best practice. Chief Minister of Yangon Region Phyo Min Thein, the Chairman of Yangon Heritage Trust Thant Myint-U, the Director of Turquoise Mountain Myanmar Harry Wardill and one of the tenants cut the ribbon and unveiled the plaque.
The two-storied colonial building which is home to around 80 people and a mix of commercial and residential uses in Kyauktada Township will be accessible by public from 3pm-7pm daily except Mondays, until July 31. A series of public talks, screenings and demonstrations will be held weekly in the exhibition space during the exhibition period.
Renovation was started at the over 100-year-old heritage building in July last year by Yangon Heritage Trust and an international NGO Turquoise Mountain in partnership with the Prince of Wales’ Foundation. The project was funded by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, and Alphawood Foundation through Global Heritage Fund.
The project aims to raise awareness and appreciation of the value of Yangon’s heritage among local people, authorities and the government, and to link with and help inform wider population of urban planning initiatives. It seeks to retain the community in and around the building and to enable a mutually sustainable future.
The building embodies so many of the qualities and challenges of properties in the downtown. It is a prominently placed elegant colonial building with grand internal spaces and vibrant street life surrounding it, but was in very poor condition and in need of repair.
Thant Myint-U said that he was delighted with the completion of the project and saw it as an important first step towards the proper restoration of downtown Yangon.
“We need to move forward on several fronts at the same time. We need a moratorium on any further destruction of old buildings, new policies and regulations, schemes that will integrate economic development and conservation, public outreach and consultation, and, critically, demonstrations like this one to show people what’s possible.”
“We are extremely grateful to Turquoise Mountain for undertaking this effort and hope it will be the first of many partnerships between TM and YHT,” he said.
The vice chairman and director of Yangon Heritage Trust, Moe Moe Lwin, said that this project is YHT’s first renovation project of privately owned building in Yangon and is to demonstrate the need to conserve heritage, how conservation would benefit the community, how to conserve technically, and how to engage community.
“The site was chosen because of its location easily seen by public, being a former residence of well-known writer-journalist Sayar Ludu Sein Win, and it has a display of original features of Merchant Street and its architectural significance,” she said.
Harry Wardill, Director of Myanmar Turquoise Mountain said that building a local workforce trained in heritage restoration technical skills and trade is an important legacy of this project
“Over 250 local tradespeople have been trained though a programme of works and training workshops in traditional building skills led by local and international experts, ensuring the restoration works could be achieved to the required international standards. Tradespeople were enabled to deal with historic buildings in the future, creating the foundation for a viable restoration industry. Craftspeople were educated on the use of appropriate materials and contemporary techniques of restoration,” he said
