Curaçao Where Colonial Style Meets Caribbean Colors
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Curaçao’s rich history comes alive in the stunning architecture to be seen all across the island — especially in its capital city, Willemstad. Throughout the island you will find the distinctive colors of the Curaçao historical architecture. It is partly 'New World', partly 'Old World', and completely unique.
Punda and Otrobanda
Wherever your eye takes you, you will see an array of beautiful, bright colors which give the facades of Curaçao's buildings their powerful radiance. You are sure to experience this in Punda & Otrobanda, among of the most photographed city-scapes of the Caribbean and listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The architecture here embodies the European Baroque style of the 18th century, but caught in the palette of Caribbean colors like mango-orange, guava-pink, papaya-yellow and avocado-green. It is said that one of the first Dutch governors, feigning medical advice, decreed that all houses should be painted in colors other than white because the reflection of the sun supposedly caused headaches and could even lead to inflammation of the eyes ultimately blindness. Whether or not the story is true, colorful buildings dominate the island to this day.
Willemstad, ranked among the best UNESCO world heritage sites
In 1997, the UNESCO World Heritage Site committee selected the historic city center of Willemstad — one of just six Caribbean sites chosen — because of its “outstanding value and integrity, which illustrates the organic growth of a multicultural community over three centuries, and preserves to a high degree significant elements.”
In addition to Willemstad’s historic city center, other inductees include the beautiful restored mansions of Scharloo and Pietermaai and Curaçaoan neighborhoods, which date back to the 1700s.
Dutch Caribbean architecture
Established in the mid-1600s, Willemstad’s covey of structures recall the quaint designs of Amsterdam, with exquisite 17th and 18th century Dutch colonial buildings not to be found anywhere else outside of the Netherlands.
In time, as Willemstad’s traditional styles were modified to accommodate the island’s dry and breezy climate, Caribbean accents such as verandas, porches, fretwork, and shutters were added. The color scheme was updated as well, introducing a bright, bold palette unheard of in the mother country.
Additional Dutch influences include:
Street Layout —Willemstad’s Otrobanda district is full of narrow alleys and wider main streets, reminiscent of 17th-century Dutch provincial towns.
Plaza—For centuries, plaza’s have had many functions—most notably they were used for dining, trading, festivals, and ceremonies. Nowadays, several plazas are in use as open-air markets in Otrobanda.
Gabled Roofline —Steep-pitched tile roofs and neck- and Dutch-gable ends are hallmarks of classic Dutch urban architecture. These elements sit beautifully in the restored 18th-century mansions of Scharloo and Pietermaai, and in the buildings along Schottegat Harbor.
Landhuizen (Country Houses)
Curaçao Landhuizen, built in the 18th and 19th centuries, are usually former plantation houses. There used to be a 100 such small plantations on Curaçao. Their names are still in use as place names, such as Pannekoek, Dokterstuin, Kenepa, Brievengat, and so on. The central pivot of each plantation was the landhuis, where the master lived with his house slaves. Situated around the country house were the store houses and the huts of slaves, who were set to work on the land or in the salters.
The villas were usually situated on a hill so that the land and the neighboring villas were within sight. They were raised from coral with the addition of some brick stone details. The high saddle roofs were made with Dutch tiles, leading the rainwater to detached brick built collectors.
A surprisingly large number of these colonial homes has survived the ages. About 55 of these landhouses are still to be found, in different conditions, scattered around our island.
Landhuis Knip/Kenepa
Land house Kenepa was named after the fruits of the Kenepa tree. The country house dates from the beginning of the 18th century. It was once one of the most prosperous plantations on the island. Produce were divi-divi seed-pots and sheep wool. The colonial home is an important monument in the history of Curaçao. It was here that on August 17, 1795 a number of slaves, led by Tula, refused to go to work on this plantation. The revolting slaves went to Santa Cruz and were met by a police force who was called to help. The growing number of slaves, by then there were over 1000, were overpowered and the leaders were sentenced to death. Tula is still very important even among today’s people of Curaçao. In 1875 there were still 175 slave huts and five stone buildings that housed 390 people. The house was restored in 1985. The home forms a rectangle circuit and the wide galleries on the spacious terraces are meant to keep the house cool. It now supports a museum and antique furniture exhibit. The land house seems to guard the two beautiful beaches of Klein Knip and Groot Knip.
Claudia is a multilingual consultant fluent in Spanish, English, Italian, and Dutch with over 25 years international experience in communications, public relations & marketing. She was born in Venezuela from Dutch parents, has lived and worked in Venezuela, Colombia, Curacao, St. Maarten, USA, Italy and The Netherlands where she resides. She is Colors Chief Editor. Her duties include content selection, revision & editing, finding and attracting collaborators, and identifying new business opportunities for Liberty Publications. More info
