Myanmar has been in the news a lot lately. Most of the reports have been good (save for the violence in Rakhine) and that's cause for celebration given the upcoming Asean Economic Community everyone is excited about. And yet, our close neighbour remains an elusive country. We want to learn more about the place, and if we can't do it physically, at least we can look at photographs.
Yangon Division Court, circa 1900. It was bombed during World War II and the damage is still visible.
A new book conceived by the Association of Myanmar Architects (AMA), with Serindia Publications, introduces readers to the unseen Myanmar through the history of old majestic buildings in the former capital city, Yangon.
Titled 30 Heritage Buildings Of Yangon, the book, written by Sarah Rooney, features important buildings and examines their past, present and future in relation to the history of the city.
From the monumental former Reserve Bank of India, where Myanmar's economic history has been recorded, to the ruined Victorian-style Pegu Club, one of the first gentlemen clubs in Southeast Asia in the 19th century, every building has a story to tell.
From the wars to natural disasters of the past, it is now abandonment and poor protection that are considered threats to these historical sites. As Myanmar has started to open its doors to the world, buildings and old communities are fighting to survive the waves of modernity and property development.
We talked to Bangkok-based author Sarah Rooney about her new book.
What is the background to the book?
The AMA was keen to look at the historical value of heritage buildings in Yangon and met with a group of interested academics, architects, planners and historians to explore ideas on how to do this. I was invited to join them in their research. The AMA is also translating the book into the Myanmar language.
The aim of the book is to draw attention to the history of the buildings, the stories they hold, their inherent value, and the many possibilities for their future.
What makes this book different from other books about architecture?
The content. Yangon's colonial-era buildings are unique within the Southeast Asian region. So many Asian cities have lost most of their old buildings due to rapid development. In Yangon, for now, it's the opposite _ most of the old buildings are still standing. And the downtown area is an example of the last surviving "colonial core" in the region _ you can walk down some streets there and it's like stepping back in time.
Which of the 30 buildings you would recommend as a 'must visit'?
My favourite is probably the former Sofaer's Building on Pansodan Road, now known as the Lokanat Gallery building. It's a symbol of just how cosmopolitan old Yangon really was. Built by a Baghdadi Jewish trader, it was filled with shops from around the world _ fine Egyptian cigars, the Reuters telegram company, a German photographer's souvenir shop, and even a Filipino hairdresser who had arrived to the country as part of a travelling circus.
The building has deteriorated a lot in recent years and parts of it are now derelict, but you can still get the sense of the stories that must have been played out within its walls.
Some of the buildings in the book are really spectacular.
Perhaps the most famous and spectacular building is the Secretariat, the former seat of the British colonial government. It is a sprawling Victorian mansion that looks like something out of a Charles Dickens novel transplanted into this tropical setting and surrounded by palm trees. There's nothing else quite like it.
How long did you research?
For me, it took about six months on and off to research and write as we tried to put the book together as quickly as possible. With all the changes happening in Myanmar there is a sense of urgency _ once a building is knocked down it is, of course, gone forever. And with it goes an irretrievable part of the country's history.
Is there any restoration plan for the old buildings?
The Yangon Heritage Trust is currently working with the government as well as local and international agencies to pool expertise and funds to create a viable framework for protecting these old buildings. Their focus is not just the buildings in this book, of course, but the entire fabric of downtown Yangon, which is interconnected with these showpiece structures.
What was the main challenge in writing this book?
Finding the information. So much of the history of these buildings had been forgotten and old records were missing or destroyed. We had to collect information from a wide variety of sources that ranged from the India Office Records at the British Library in London where the official colonial records are kept and the archives of corporations that used to have branches in Yangon before World War II (such as Standard Chartered Bank and Lloyds Bank) to old street directories and personal photo albums.
Images from 30 Heritage Buildings Of Yangon are on display at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand, Maneeya Center, until July 27. The book costs 1,200 baht from Taschen Serindia store, 3rd floor, CentralWorld.
Lokanat Gallery Building, circa 1906, built by Baghdadi Jewish trader Isaac A. Sofaer.
