Old capitol bldg restored,

soft opening, this Sunday

TAGBILARAN CITY, October 13 (PIA)--Boholanos can now expect a sturdier, more period-correct public building as the National Museum (NM) turns over the restored 1855 old capitol building. 

Now opened after an adaptive re-use of the old structure, the Bohol Capitol Building would have the NM and Bohol local officials leading its soft-opening this Sunday, October 15, exactly four years after the 2013 earthquake damaged it. 

Speaking at the Kapihan sa PIA, NM Acting Assistant Director and Cultural Properties Division Chief Angel Bautista bared that the restoration of the 1855 stone structure took time because they have to study details to make sure that the structure is disaster-resilient and is restored to its 1860 grandeur. 

By "adaptive re-use," the NM refers to the utilization of the restored built structure of value for purposes other than that using it as tribunal and military quarters. 

NM wold be using the restored building for its Museum branch in Tagbilaran, Dir. Bautista said. 

The re-use decision came after experts believe that this can help conserve the site, their engineering integrity and authenticity of design.

"Actually we had detailed engineering studies which took us almost three years, if only to make sure that the structure survives the effect of a recurring phenomenon, Director Bautista said. 

NM said they had to dig and pour grouting to fill the cavities found under the Capitol building, to further strengthen the support structures for the building's weight. 

Built accordingly to house the tribunal and garrison of the Spanish forces in Bohol, the structure was built in traditional stone and lime. 

Historical records claimed the builders used 27,300 bricks, 4,325 cavans of lime, 61,000 roofing tiles and 'banaba' beams and girders. 

As a tribunal, the building also used molave in the prison cell while 'bangkal' wood was used for floors then. 

After over a hundred years of existence and having been the home of countless government offices in the past, the building has seen the twisting and turning of interior layout according to the occupants' comfort. 

Several of these moves have affected the integrity of the old building structure, restoration experts said. 

Declared an Important Cultural Property lately, the old Spanish building should have been protected from design and interior lay-out alternations, according to the National Heritage Law. 

Because of this too, a wall pile of red bricks hiding behind a thin plaster of mortar is now re-exposed, one that would greet anyone taking the new and restored flight of step going up the restored second floor. 

Now a building fitted to house the NM Branch in Bohol, interior lay out has to fit into the restored structure, contractors volunteered the information. 

And the recent works has revealed the garita de sentinela, two protruding sentry houses that now mutely flank the back of the building's second floor. 

Set to house the NM Bohol branch, the old Capitol has regained 1,256 square meters of floor space, detailed engineering work floor plans reveal. 

Of that, 861.32 square meters are dedicated to be occupied by the museum and its galleries, while 112.008 sq. m. has been allotted to offices. 

Soon to cater to tourists and researchers, the new structure also houses 120.0038 sq m of laboratory spaces, 91.6599 sq. m of shops and 70. 3624 sq m of private areas. 

The building now houses a galleries, museum shop, visitor services, NM front office, a courtyard, laboratory areas, power room, quarters and at least two public rest rooms. 

With the 1955 Spanish tribunal and military quarters building restored, gallery viewers of the soon to open Bohol National Museum can see the Cathedral from one of its grand windows. Unwanted vegetation and power and telephone lines still block the gorgeous view from here. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)