The Infrastructure Development Office (GDI) announced yesterday that it expects the construction of the Black Box Theatre next to the Macau Cultural Centre to start in the first quarter next year.
According to the statement, the office unsealed bids submitted by 23 companies for the construction of the project. Among the 23 bids submitted, 20 were accepted and one rejected, while the office accepted the remaining two conditionally – the two companies will have to submit some documents that were not included in the bid within a specified period of time.
The statement noted that the quotations proposed by the accepted bidders range from 80.3 million patacas to about 110 million patacas. The statement said that according to the proposals the construction periods range from 383 days to 420 days.
The Macau Cultural Centre’s Black Box Theatre will be in Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, pointing out that the theatre will have an area of about 1,450 square metres. It will be three storeys high and include a basement. The statement noted that the gross area of the theatre will be about 3,110 square metres. Concerning the operation needs of the theatre, the statement pointed out that the building will comprise two theatres, a backstage area, rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms and office area.
The statement said that besides the Black Box Theatre building, work will also be carried out on the outdoor area. The statement said that the office had detailed in the tender that the construction period was to be no longer than 440 days, fulfil all the requirements in detail, and finish excavation work within 130 days.
During a Legislative Assembly Q&A plenary session earlier this week, Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian said that the Black Box Theatre was progressing faster than expected. She added that her bureau had considered setting up an “experimental black box theatre” for the transition period before the new Black Box Theatre is built but since the progress of the Black Box Theatre is going quicker than the original schedule, her bureau decided to shelve the plan for a transitional theatre.
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian addresses a Legislative Assembly Q&A plenary session on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of TDM
