Red House cannot be painted green

Nov 30, 2017 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

Many years ago, the building which is now occupied by Courts on Main Street was owned by Geddes Grant. It was traditionally painted in sober colours in keeping with the general pattern of the colonial structures in that part of the City.

Courts decided to paint the building in loud colours. It caused a reaction in some quarters and a counter reaction by those who defended Courts’ colour scheme.

Just up the road from where Courts is located, another row is brewing. The quarrel that is erupting has to do with the changing of the colours of State House, the home of the President of Guyana.

State House is being greened. It has always been painted white. This was the traditional colours of buildings in Guyana when State House was constructed. Painting the building in white was also deliberate since Guyana is a tropical country and white reflects heat.

State House, a wooden building has always been white. It has therefore come as something of a shock to learn that the building is being painted green, the same colours of which the Ministry of the Presidency has been painted.

State House has always been painted in a politically neutral colour. The reason is not hard to decipher. State House is the residence of the Head of State and therefore should be devoid of partisan trappings.

State House is also a national monument. By virtue of being designated a national monument, State comes under the jurisdiction of the National Trust.

The intention of making State House a national monument is to preserve its historic significance. The National Trust is responsible for ensuring the preservation of national monuments. It means that the National Trust has a say in the structural appearance and integrity of national monuments.

Written permission of the National Trust is required for any interference or disturbance with a place or building designated as a national monument. It means that if there is to be change in colour or structural alternations to State House the approval of the National Trust is required.

It therefore makes sense for the Ministry of the Presidency to ensure that any works being undertaken on State House is approved by the National Trust, lest the Ministry first run afoul of the law which imposes a penalty for authorised interference and disturbance with a national monument or Ministry undertakes structural alterations which degrade the heritage of the building and its surroundings.

State House lies in a zone which is the subject of a preserving scheme. The preserving scheme designates the height, size, design, colour and the materials which may be used for construction of buildings with the preserving scheme.

The traditional colour of State House cannot be changed unless there is the permission of the National Trust and unless the new colour is done in accordance with the preserving scheme of the area where State House is located.

For those who find it hard to understand why preserving schemes limit what can be done in terms of colour, imagine what will happen if St. George’s Cathedral were to be painted in green; or Red House to be painted in green. The heritage significance of these buildings is related to the materials that they are made of, their architecture and, in the case of Red House, its colour.

Painting State House in green is unlawful since the permission of the National Trust is required before this is done. The Ministry of the Presidency should put itself in order, halt the present paint job and provide the National Trust with justifiable reasons why State House should not retain the colour of white.

Any National Trust worth its salt would never allow for the painting of a national monument in a colour which is close to the colours of the ruling coalition. There will have to special and exceptional reasons for changing the colour of State House.

If the painting of State House goes forward without any request for permission from the National Trust, the Board members of the Trust should resign instantly.

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Red House cannot be painted green

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