Monument Bureau promotes Aruban history through restoration

To know where you are going, you have to know where you have come from. Architecture provides clues about the past, it describes traditions and it differentiates one place and culture from another.

As the world becomes a smaller place and buildings start to look the same from one city to another, those places that can preserve their unique architectural styles will have something special to offer visitors. Aruba is truly multicultural and its architecture has been influenced by the convergence of cultures.

"Generating interest in preserving monuments has not been an easy task, noted Yvonne Webb-Kock, Director of the Office of Monuments.

"Ten years ago nobody was interested if a building was torn down. The older generation is more passive; they won’t protest. The younger generation is more vocal. Now, Arubans are more stimulated and more aware, not just about the buildings, but about having Aruban artists and architects."

Webb-Kock’s parents were Dutch and Aruban, a common bi-cultural couple. Born in Holland and raised in Aruba, Ms. Webb-Kock was brought up with a mixed culture, a blending of old traditions and new ideas.

Her interest in architecture started at home with her father who was an engineer. Studying interior design in Holland and then building science and civil engineering in Curacao, she designed new government buildings in Aruba for a time.

When the government opened the new department concerning monument restoration 1996, she jumped at the chance. The first building she restored was the City Hall. "It is my baby. I go by it on Sundays, just to check up on it," she said smiling.

The Monument Bureau is divided into three parts: the Office of Monuments which provides the technical assistance; the Monument Foundation Fund, the financial arm of the project; and the Council of Monuments, which gives advice concerning monuments to the government.

Working together, the National Monument Bureau has cataloged the importance of 300 historic buildings. Since the City Hall was finished, other monuments have been restored.

The Numismatic Museum building was moved from a prior location, rebuilt and restored and another large, traditional family house was also recently finished. An old cemetery also had its gravestones refurbished. In total, 24 old buildings or monuments have been restored.

While the cost has been great, losing Aruban heritage would be greater. Webb-Kock explained that preserving the exterior of the building was most important. "You can’t freeze a building in time. The interiors are being adapted to modern use. Some people don’t understand that concept. They think it is like their mother’s vase, passed down from generation to generation and kept the way it is."

With their renewed historical look and their modern interior, the buildings have given downtown Oranjestad a facelift.

The Foundation Fund is now doing a feasibility study to help with new projects such as giving old people $500 guilder grants to paint or have small repairs done. Completely refurbishing a small house could cost from $300 to $400,000 guilders, but small grants will help improve the look of small houses and the lives of Aruba’s elders.

Webb-Kock lamented that modern influences are changing the face of the country. "Because we are multicultural, all the influences from outside are changing the architecture. For example, the main road by the sea is starting to have a Miami style influence. That is a pity because when you come with a cruise ship, that is your first impression and that is not Aruba. Commercial influences are damaging the real culture of the image of the island itself."

Part of preserving the culture is educating Aruba’s youth about the monuments. Webb-Kock noted that children seem to enjoy the larger monuments with more features. Older students listen to their grandparents stories and relate their interest in architecture to how things use to be. They are especially interested in traditions and superstition. City Hall, the Fort, the Lighthouse, and Alta Vista Church are favorites for young people.

In honor of its 10th year anniversary in 2006, The Monument Bureau celebrated by creating a new walking tour of the refurbished monuments called "Paseo Monumental". Working to showcase its achievements and to foster continued interest in conservation, the tour encourages Arubans and tourists alike to follow a map and visit the monuments at their own pace. "Paseo Monumental" is already attracting attention and as an additional tourist activity that Aruba has to offer. Webb-Kock hopes that a website will soon be developed that can further promote the accomplishments of the organization and the rich history and culture of the monuments.

"We need to continue to conservation and adaptation of the buildings and make more people aware that in Aruba we have sand, sea and soul," stated Webb-Kock.