Carlos Marreiros, last week’s winner of the government New Central Library design tender, Thursday vehemently denied claims that his proposal plagiarised the design of a building in the Spanish city of Leon.
Marreiros, an architect and artist, denied the plagiarism in a press conference after photos comparing his design and the one in Spain began to circulate on social media and resulted in scathing criticisms of the local project.
Both designs appear to be strikingly similar.
According to government-owned broadcaster TDM, Marreiros, 61, insisted that he had never plagiarised anything in his life and that he was always heeding ethical principles in his professional life.
He also said that he had not been aware of the building in Leon. He was quick to add that he liked it.
Meanwhile, Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian said on the sidelines of a public function yesterday that her bureau was looking in to the matter, adding that it had asked Marreiros’ atelier for an explanation.
Marreiros won the bureau’s tender for the “Preparation of the New Macau Central Library Project” at the old Courthouse in Avenida da Praia Grande last week, with a price tag of 18.68 million patacas.
Marreiros’ design project was revealed by the bureau at the Old Courthouse last Saturday.
A total of nine bids were received by the bureau. The bid submitted by Marreiros was the third lowest. The bids ranged from 9.8 million patacas to 43 million patacas.
The New Central Library project has been delayed for over a decade after the first design tender was abruptly cancelled by the bureau due to an investigation by the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC). At that time, Marreiros had been excluded from the tender.
