Arch. Sarto Almeida was
a unique personality with very strong principles and high professional ethics
which he never compromised at the altar of commercialism. He was a pioneer and
a crusader to maintain Goa’s heritage structures and locations. He always
fought for the truth and defended his convictions to the core. When his
ideologies were not in sync with the government policies, he did not hesitate
to step down as chairman of South Goa’s first PDA. In my life, I have met many
personalities but never a persona with such high standards of integrity and
ethics as Arch. Sarto Almeida.
When architecture in Goa
was in its nascent stage, Arch. Almeida with his soft-spoken voice, humble
unassuming nature, had trained so many young architects, who will carry forward
his ideology and legacy.
Arch. Almeida with his
omnipresent smile, wearing his trademark three-quarter pants, with his
sartorial fashion statement made him an almost ageless icon, for the new
generation to follow. Arch. Sarto Almeida together with his lovely wife
Therese, have brought new concepts in the field of education, art and culture,
benefiting the society. Our new generation needs to be acquainted and follow
the footsteps of this great personality. His designs are like Picasso’s
paintings; difficult to appreciate and fathom at first sight, a little
familiarity will instantly tell you that functionality and practicality is the
main ideology. Arch. Sarto Almeida has many landmarks to his design and credit:
- Monasteries, Temples, Schools, Halls, beautiful Villas and the standout
International center at Dona Paula.
The signature of his
design is the sense of spaciousness he brings about with broad staircases and
plenty of light; gentle rises on the steps which do not tire you while climbing
even to the third level (in case of elevator failure). His signature designs will
always remain in the memory of his legacy.
Flashback:
Arch. Almeida traces his ancestry and roots to the illustrious village of
Chinchinim. He reminisced that his grandfather went to East Africa and had
large plantations there. Their beautiful ancestral home, overlooking the church
football ground, due to disuse and lack of maintenance, vanished into village
history like most Goan houses of expats. The Almeida family tried to gain back
their foothold in the village of Chinchinim, by trying to acquire a picturesque
hill called the ‘Hill of The Saints (Santan Dongor)’, where to this day, foxes
and fruit bats call it their home and in the eerie dead of the night, yelp and
raid the village countryside for food. Alas!
The hill eluded the
Almeidas and always remained a distant mirage. Arch. Sarto Almeida was born on
July 5 1924, studied in Sir JJ School of Arts Mumbai, where the famous
cartoonist Mario Miranda had also studied and was his family friend; then on,
he went to various destinations and even worked under the world-famous
architect Le Corbusier who designed the city of Chandigarh. Arch. Sarto
Almeida’s love for Goa was so great, that he finally managed to acquire an old
heritage house in the quaint village of Seraulim and lived a leisurely life
with his family. We as parents, once went to his house to convince his wife
Mrs.Therese Almeida founder of Manovikas School to have a football ground for
Manovikas. Arch.Sarto Almeida overheard our conversation in the hall. He came
and joined us and we had an unexpected ally to fight for our cause and
Manovikas had a sports ground in no time. Arch. Sarto Almeida is a
multi-talented, lover of sports, art, and culture. He was part of a musical
band in Mumbai. He is an epitome and personification of “Goemkarpon”. His
unique architectural designs will always remain as mementos in his memory.
( Agnelo
Furtado a senior Herald reader and regular letter writer hails from Sarto
Almeida’s village Chinchinim)