A new national museum in Ambohitsorohitra

On november 17, 2007, the Malagasy president, Marc Ravalomanana, set the first stone for the construction of a new building which will be located just a few meters from the current presidential palace in Ambohitsorohitra. According to the president in his speech announcing the construction of this new building, the presidential palace in Ambohitsorohitra, like the Queen’s Palace in Anatirova, is a national heritage that every Malagasy citizen must be proud of. The president also stated in his speech that the fact of renovating these national heritages greatly increases the national pride. The construction of a new building in Ambohitsorohitra is then a part of the renovation process of this national heritage.

The new building, as Marc Ravalomanana insisted, will first and foremost aim at increasing national pride. Indeed, according to the Malagasy architect, Michel Raberiharivelo, the shape of the building will resemble the “Trano Gasy” (traditional Malagasy house) of the highlands of Madagascar, and in the same way, the building will be constructed with the traditional materials which the “Ntaolo” (Malagasy ancestors) used to built their houses.

As for its utility once constructed, the building will serve as an extra-office to the president. However, it will principally keep national archives such as the documents containing the history of Madagascar, the documents concerning the Madagascar Action Plan (Map) and many others. In short, this new “Trano Gasy” will be a rea museum because it will preserve both outside and inside of it some of the key elements constituting the Malagasy pride.