(Who are we to judge what’s nice and what’s not? What color is beautiful and dignified and baduy? The debate, albeit quietly and I heard, through texting and emails and blogs, continues about the colorful municipal hall of Lingayen)
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – What’s in a color? Much, especially when it involves the municipal hall of the capital town of the province.
Late last year, the façade of the municipal hall of this historic town was reconstructed with a Roman design and painted with bright colors like yellow, green and blue and gold.
Mayor Ernesto "Jonas" Castañeda said the colors were decided upon by the engineers and architects who worked on the reconstruction of the façade and extension of the municipal building.
He said many residents, including balikbayans, were impressed with results – a building with "happy" colors and which enlivened the town center. "I have not heard of any negative comments about the design and the color," he said.
But some residents are not impressed. The officers of Pangasinan Heritage Society, Inc. who are also from the town, went to his office and gave him a letter asking him to "evaluate the impact of the color scheme of the municipal building to the overall ambience of the town center."
PHS President Arabela Arcinue said the design of the government building in the town must be preserved and synchronized under "one period" as she urged the mayor to consult expert urban planners/ architects who can help towards that goal.
The Pangasinan Artist Group has also discussed among themselves the townhall’s design and color scheme. "It should have been painted with a color befitting a historical government building," said its president, Patrick Bacolor.
Arcinue pointed out that the muncipal hall was beside the Casa Real, the province’s first Capitol which was built in 1840s and which has been declared a national historical landmark by the National Historical Institute.
Castañeda countered that those who planned the building were experts themselves, and that they based the color scheme on the modern trend of painting buildings with lively colors.
He said in other countries and even in the country, the trend is towards bright colors. "Even some municipal buildings in the province are painted brightly."
The mayor also said that the municipal hall was not historical, but "a modern one built only in the 1960s."
"It’s not a Spanish design. It’s not historical. We only put extensions then improved the façade. Besides, is coloring the town hall with bright colors a crime? ," he added.
He also said he was aware that the the neighbor building Casa Real was a historical building which needs restoration and that he was willing to help the PHS to have it restored. The Casa Real is owned by the provincial government.
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – What’s in a color? Much, especially when it involves the municipal hall of the capital town of the province.