English
Administration of the Islands Communities
Panaji [Panagi/Pangim/Panjim/Nova Goa], Goa, India
Equipment and Infrastructures
Although the exact construction date of the Islands Communities Administration building has not been determined, it is known that in September 1903 a plot of land was expropriated for its construction, which was presumably carried out the following year. The main façade faced the back of the City Council Building [Paços do Concelho], now demolished, and marked the start of Avenida da Igreja. The side façades, with very different urban placements, had distinct solutions. On one side it culminated the Corte de Outeiro thoroughfare and its careful resolution shows an awareness of that urban significance. The building has an apparently symmetrical plan with respect to the main entrance. Distribution to the various spaces is accomplished via a veranda around the central patio. The plan’s apparent symmetry is due to the way distribution is effected; the volume’s asymmetries are then resolved in each room. By means of a curved corner, the construction adjusts to and reinforces the meeting of the city’s two structural thoroughfares. The problem the corner raised for the façade’s resolution vis-à-vis the building’s symmetry is resolved by its separation into sections and the use of different kinds of bays. The main entrance is marked by means of a pediment. The decorative elements highlight the building’s structural components: the cornerstones and bay frames stand out, along with the markedly geometric forms of the small triangular pediments above the full-length windows of the first floor and the balustrade, with some very unusual circular elements. This building thus resolves a number of urban and architectural questions, quite different from the simplicity of its predecessors. The ground floor has most likely been used for commercial purposes since the time of its construction. The first floor still houses services linked to the state.
