11th Blog

"A city rounded by neglect"

http://survivingurbanportofspain.blogspot.com/

Taken by our colleague: The Land Rent Model of Alonso, Muth, et.al, “assumed that the dynamic of the zones of the city were invasion, succession, and segregation in that the population gradually filtered outward from the central business district and the level and status of assimilates also progressed”. The picture portrays one of the lower class areas of Port of Spain. The authors question how a community in close proximity to the urban space can be in such a state of despair. From a different perspective, in urban centers, there is a fight for sustainable livelihood. People situate themselves closer to the city in hope of gaining achievements within the realm of the resources that the city has to offer.

When living close to the city it perpetuates luxury to the human mind, especially if that human is less fortunate, the idea will increase. This as a result promotes crime resulting in obtaining luxury items and engages in criminal activities. A stigma of an unsafe environment is given to people performing this crime as well as the community. As a result, the area tends to be neglected by the government. This connects to Architecture and Caribbean Urban Spaces. This can be related to our third blog entitled "LOVE" where crime is perpetuated by the mentality of criminals to gain luxury items illegally. The quote taken by our colleague “assumed that the dynamic of the zones of the city were invasion, succession, and segregation in that the population gradually filtered outward from the central business district and the level and status of assimilates also progressed" indicated that there are people moving towards the periphery of the Central Business District. Additionally, Burgess 1925 showed that land value increases towards the CBD, therefore people will move towards this area for economic development. The Central Business District (CBD) is the main area of economic activity. People living on the outer zones would gravitate to the central business district and this would depict pull factor resources that the city provides. This in addition to our colleague can justify the presence of the residence of Sealots and environs. 

“Architecture through time”

http://triniurbanarchitecture.blogspot.com 

Taken by our colleague: Looking at these fretwork houses, a sense of admiration for its intricate designs and collaboration of architectural styles are felt. A connection to the past arises with a sense of nostalgia by the older folks. However, these houses are still standing connections to the colonial past.

"The imperial power still has an unspoken control over the city’s organization and development through the presence of these buildings”. Our colleague talks about the unspoken power the colonial presence has on the Caribbean spaces. This is now perpetuated into a neo-colonial aspect where western and also European elites invites themselves or is invited to impede their idea of development into the Caribbean space. This is related to our ninth blog entitle "Identity of Port of Spain through Architectural Design”. Architecture in Caribbean Spaces blog here relates to our colleague by illustrating the colonial power that still perpetuates in the Caribbean through architecture. The colonial mentality that the West Indian people allow relates to neoliberalism and the influence of imperial powers. The design of the ginger bread house is seen throughout the Caribbean islands as it is prominent in Dominica as displayed in Blog two of Architecture and Caribbean Urban Spaces.

“Public Space or Wasteful Space”

‘What makes a successful Public Space Part One?’

/http://whypublicspacesfail.blogspot.com/

Taken from our Colleague: "Successful public spaces are those which are easily accessible to and from other areas. Entrances to these places should be clearly visible both close up and at a distance. Visibility instills a sense of safety and safety invites people in. A good idea will be to ensure that walls do not block the view of entrances and exits. Fifty percent of the space should be open to the sidewalk (American Planning Association 2015), as this makes commuting to and from the place easier. Also, there should not be a limit to people who want to use public spaces. Therefore, accessibility for disabled persons should be provided".

Our colleague speaks about the gated park as a representation of safety. However, it can also be looked at from a different perspective. As expounded on blog entitle "LOVE" of Architecture and Caribbean Spaces, the community invites outsiders into their local space and expresses that they are a community of love through graphics on the wall despite the excess amount of criminal activities occurring in the area. When the message of ‘love' is placed in the center and the outskirts of the crime area, there will be a sense of welcome from the the community to the outside population.

                       BALLY IN THE URBAN

 Photo taken by Jhon Pierre Maxwell                      Port of Spain, O’Conner Street Woodbrook

Bally is an international salon located in Port of Spain Woodbrook 33 O’Conner Street.  The aesthetic, design and appeal of the studio is unique as compared to traditional hair salons.  Also compared to traditional designs of commercial and residential building the Bally salon design has a unique approach to its space.  This salon has done work on Miss Trinidad and Tobago for the Universe Pageant and many famous artistes such as Soca Artiste Destra and Patrice Roberts. Along with the location of the Bally salon which has a very significant land value price, the expertise and character of the human resources and architecture usually selects a high socio-economic class of persons or who can afford it. In this area of Woodbrook there are residential housing designs that have colonial styles and influences in it. Some of these residences are passed on to other generations of Europeans that would come to Trinidad. One example is the cream and green home next to Bally which is own by Ms Welch who is from England. Ms Welch told the researcher that the house was passed on to her by her grandfather after he died in 1956. Further modifications were made to the structure such as new painting and replacement of the roof. The Bally shows explicitly a postmodern design with its unique shape and angular design. Postmodernism describes a style or styles of architecture and the decorative arts that were a reaction to Modernism and the Modern Movement and the dogmas associated with it (Suzanne Waters 2008).

INFORMAL SECTOR

Photo taken by Kimara Dyer             - Kennedy Avenue, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica

With direct attention on the first building in green and yellow, the picture portrays the home of two popular men on the street of downtown Kennedy Avenue. The type of architectural design is found in and around the city of Roseau. Material found in the surrounding environment is used to build the home. The structure and organization of the homes represent a communal setting. As seen, a combination of homes is situated toward the back of the first house. The homes are made of material such as different types of woods as well as galvanize for the roofing and the base. Like many of the homes in the city area, there is a combination of wood and concrete.

What is unique about this particular location is the popularity of the area. The owners are self employed in the shoe making industry. The close proximity to a number of business places provides a constant flow of production to the individuals. This depicts the city space as people make every effort to make a living and to improve their lifestyle. It is common to see people creating their business from home and majority of the time business have flourished. People continuously in the city support small local businesses. This is an example of the pull factors within the urban space, the availability of resources and the cliental for small local businesses. People with the central business district start of small to earn a living in the hopes of reaching great prosperity. “The theory relating to the informal sector to urban space is less clear”. The author continues to say that, “The augment appears to be that workers in the informal sector jobs require few, if any skills and so there is no need opportunity for specific on-the-job training that could lead to good higher paid jobs” (Teilhet 1983). This can relate to the local business where the men engage in shoe making outside their homes in an informal way with little modern equipment. On-the job training may not be present due to the early age of knowing the trade which would be passed on to that individual over generations.

REFERENCE

Teilhet-Waldorf, Saral, and William H. Waldorf. 1983. "Earnings of self-employed in an informal sector: a case study of Bangkok." Economic Development and Cultural Change 31, no. 3: 587-607.

Identity of Port of Spain through Architectural Design

Pre-Architectural Designs:

Source: Citizensforconservationtt.org.                                            Photo taken by Jhon Pierre Maxwell

In 1797, Governor Sir Ralph Woodford, a past Governor of Trinidad was concerned with the urban development. He designed a grid pattern of streets divided by several open squares, with a large landscaped promenade called the Marine Square, now known as Independence Square. Trinidad's early nineteenth century Architecture was typical of the Neo-Classical style popular under British colonial rule. The St. James Barracks is an example of this which can be seen in the figure above. Later in the century buildings became more decorative as demonstrated by the architecture of the Red House by Architect Daniel M. Hahn and later Queen's Royal College. After the great fire in Port of Spain of 1895, architect George Brown of Scotland redesigned the main commercial area, including Marine Square and lower Frederick Street, with a distinctive wooden structure, triangle roof top style which included verandas extending over the pavements providing shade and shelter to pedestrians.

Post -Modern –Architectural Designs:

Photo taken by Jhon Pierre Maxwell -   Photo taken from Independence Square - Eric Williams Plaza.

In the twentieth century, the movement of post and modern architectural styles emerged such as the Eric Williams Plaza locally known as the Twin Towers on the Independence Square. It is an icon of the Central Business District (CBD) of Port of Spain. The CBD is focal point of a city. It is the commercial, office, retail, and cultural center of the city and usually is the center point for transportation networks. The twin towers were one of the first twenty-two stories high and started construction in 1979. It was designed by Anthony C. Lewis and is named after the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Sir Eric Williams (GmbH 2016). The building incorporates a cultural and historic aspect by portraying two paintings of the cultural practices of Trinidad and Tobago to the right and the symbolic abstract painting of Trinidad and Tobago is blessed with to the left. The concept of the building is post modern and is constructed with steel and concrete. The purpose of the designs is to reflect a strong cohesion towards our cultural identity and not entirely conforming to foreign architectural concepts but also to revive the diminishing historic archetypes. The CBD with the addition of these historic elements does not isolate itself from the ones who look up at them figuratively and literally. 

Photo taken by Jhon Pierre Maxwell      -Office of the Parliament located in 1A Wrightson Road Port of Spain. 

Another example is the Office of the Parliament located in Port of Spain international waterfront center, 1A Wrightson Road. The architecture design at the ground floor shows the history of Trinidad and Tobago colonization in a two dimensional image. On the right side of the mountain in the image, one can obtain the presence of the Spaniards on their quest of Gold, God and Glory to Trinidad. The mountain in the center of the image shows the division between the indigenous people and the colonizer. Their differences of perception such as society, economy, their environment and culture where one will take imperialistic control. The designer was able to portray both groups’ protection gear and tools.

“In architecture, the term ‘modern’ is used to define the buildings designed by modernist architectural style, which insists to use contemporary thinking to design, rather than using historical items. However, in modern architecture, appearance was not as essential as function during the time between the 1900s and 1950s, and then through ‘postmodern’ buildings, ornamentation and aesthetics have gained importance in architecture” (Salman, et.al). Incorporating this diminishing historical and cultural design into modern infrastructure such as these high rise buildings can change the perception of Caribbean spaces which results in giving an identity to the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.  The way in which our cultural and historical background is incorporated to the Central Business District gives to the grassroots population a sense of ownership, right, identity and pride (Rosenberg 2016). The space is not isolated from the public which increases their development of identity where one can inspect and understand the history of Trinidad and Tobago. This dynamic mixture of indigenous history and modern architecture creates post-modern Caribbean space for a common identity to feel as one. Future construction of high rise buildings should consider the importance of the developing this concept whether for residential, commercial and industrial.

References:

Celik, Selman, and Timothy Chapman. 2012. Has Postmodern Architecture Killed Modern Architecture? 1st ed. London: Goldsmith University of London.

GmbH, Emporis. 2016. "Eric Williams Finance Building, Port-Of-Spain | 124680 | EMPORIS". Emporis.com.

MacLean, Geoffrey. 2010. "Introduction to Trinidad And Tobago's Architecture". Citizensforconservationtt.org.

Rosenberg, Matt. 2016. "Why Do Central Business Districts Exist?". About.com Education. 

A GROWING POPULATION

Photo Taken by Kimara Dyer                       -Sub section of Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica

The nature of the city of Roseau is densely populated with a tightly packed infrastructural layout. The fundamental aspect of the city is the Central Business District (CBD) along with the people who dwell in and around the CBD within this city.

The photo shows a sub section of the city taken from the top floor of the Financial Centre which is the tallest building in the vicinity of Roseau. Located next to the Financial Centre, lays this small residential community with tightly packed small wooden framed houses that are known in French Creole as ‘Ti Kai’. These houses are made up of rectangular and triangular half hip galvanized roofs to withstand hurricanes. Some of the houses are made entirely of wood while others are made of concrete. There are a few houses made of both wood and concrete. The combinations keep the antique feel to the homes as time progresses and these materials are very common in the city of Roseau. Transition is shown from the original wooden houses to concrete structures as time progresses. These depict traditional urban architecture. Additionally, within the space the houses are single stories; however, on the outskirt of the tightly packed residential area, there are a few recently built two-storey houses and apartments present. The verandas of the two- storey homes are similar where they are connected by pillars and designed with loophole patterns. The houses are of a variety of colours as seen throughout the island.  Business places are usually of a neutral colour.

The organizational positioning of this space contains a mixture of residential and commercial structures. Though the tightly packed residential area is visible, it is situated in close proximity to some of the main business places such as the already mentioned Financial Centre, Cable Companies such as Digicel, Police and Fire stations, the Venezuelan Embassy and the Stadium which is located towards the south of the area; schools are also in close proximity of this area.  This is the typical architecture of the buildings found within the vicinity of Roseau, tightly packed with a combination of single and multiple storey buildings.

As the years progress, two main factors contribute to the establishment of this type of settlement arrangement (Knox 2001). Firstly, migratory patterns as a result of pull factors from the rural areas have lead to the building arrangement of this area. People migrate to the city to find a means of improving their lifestyle because of the many resources that the city contains. However, although there is the search for improvement in the standard of living of citizens, an informal sector develops as lack of jobs and unemployment contribute to poverty within the city Burgees (2002). Therefore, there is the development of these residential areas in pockets of the city which represent the level at which people start before they make a living that can sustain individuals and their household. In most instances, this is not achieved and people are faced with having to settle in areas of informal housing. Additionally, the growth in population due to natural increase is a potential contributor to the arrangement of this part of the city. On the outskirt of the informal housing, the picture shows an expansion as apartments are built to accommodate the growth in population as well as the migration from the rural area.

References:

Knox, Paul L.,Marston Sali A. 2001. Human Geography: Places and Regions in Global Context. Pearson Education

Burgess, Rod, and Mike Jenks, eds. 2002. Compact cities: Sustainable urban forms for developing countries. Routledge.

BROKEN SHACKLES

Photo by Kimara Dyer      -The 'Neg Mawon' Monument, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica 

The ‘Neg Mawon’ (Dominican French Patois) monument in English to be known as the Black (Negro) Maroons monument is a historic sculpture located at the roundabout, on the corner of Turkey Lane, Victoria Street and Castle Street, Roseau, Dominica.  The monument depicts the Neg Mawon Emancipation movement on the island in 1838. It symbolizes the victory over hardship and a mark of resilience and force. The sculpture honors Dominica’s African Ancestors and the contribution to the diverse culture. This is elaborated in the articles of Kerns (1993) and Kostof (1991) as they speak about the design of urban spaces, how these urban spaces were influenced by history, and the impact that it has on contemporary culture.

The statue is carved in the shape of a male human being. This sculpture portrays a man who was once enslaved but now has been freed due to the Emancipation Act of 1838. With only a pair of short pants up to the knee indicates the dressing of the slaves in the past. Carved on the wrists of the hands are broken shackles which reveals that the slaves were once chained but are now broken and allows us to be free today.  The sculpture also exemplifies the influence of the colonial rule on the islands culture. The slaves from Africa came to Dominica with their original beliefs and practices from their homeland. However, while working on the plantations under the control of the British and French, these beliefs and practices have been mixed and altered as time progressed. As a result, one main area of Dominica’s culture which is a result of this combination is the language. Though the dominant language spoken is English, the Dominican population speaks fluent French patois as well. French patois is the language of ‘broken French’ which has been influenced when the island was ruled by the French. It was developed to create a language different from the Europeans for effective communication against the Europeans.

Additionally, the conch shell was carved in this monument as it has a significant historical meaning. The conch shell is used as a horn because of the loud sound given off when blown. It is used as a means of communication to alert the entire community that something is taken place. The conch shell has been a part of the rich culture of the island as it is used to create music by local band such as WCK. It is also used by fishermen. After capturing fish, the fishermen walk through every nearby community blowing the conch shell alerting that fresh fish is for sale. It is still a common practice in villages today! When placing the conch shell next to the ear, it elicits the sound of the surrounding environment where it is found, and most often that reflects the waves of the Caribbean Sea/ Ocean.  

The Neg Mawon Monument was constructed by Mr. Franklyn Zamore, a retired local welder on the island of Dominica. August 1^st 2015 marked the 177^th Anniversary of Dominica’s emancipation from slavery.

The video clip below plays a popular ‘bouyon’ (local band music) song from one of Dominica’s local bands-'WCK'.  The music has a combination of the French patois and English as well as the conch shell used as an instrument. This music is most prominently played throughout the carnival season.

(Throughout the song, Conch Shell Instrument played most prominent at 4:23 and French Patois sung most prominent at 1:20)

References:

Kostof, Spiro. 1991. The city shaped: Urban patterns and meanings through history. Thames and Hudson.

Kearns, Gerry, and Chris Philo. 1993. "Culture, history, capital: A critical introduction to the selling of places." Selling places: The city as cultural capital, past and present 1-32.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bhHyrpKxZE

EUROPEAN INFLUENCE ON CARIBBEAN ARCHETYPES AND THE TRANSITION TO POST COLONIAL ARCHITECTURAL STYLES

Photo Taken by Kimara Dyer      -National Public Library, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica

European imperialism led to the development of cities within Caribbean countries because of the urge for economic and political control. As a result, the cities created centers of administration, political control and commerce (Paul 2001). Evidence of this is disclosed in the article of Niddrie (1996) as hasty permanent settlement was the main factor concentrated on by the British Governments for the ceded islands and the settlement patterns shaped the structural arrangement of the city. The early European dominance on the island of Dominica grafted onto the existing settlement and introduced European architectural design within the city; utilizing local material such as wood, which was in abundance on the island. Thereafter, European influences along with the indigenous and African heritage lead to the development of Caribbean archetypes. 

Today, along Victoria Street lie a blend of old and new architectural buildings within the capital of Roseau; however, prominence is placed on the nations National Public Library. Along this street lies one of the oldest buildings on the island of the Commonwealth of Dominica. Built in 1906, Dominica’s Public Library was administered and designed by the first Crown Colony Administrator Mr. Henry Hesketh Bell. Though blueprinted by Mr. Bell, the Library was funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.  The building is a one story chalet with a large basement. Besides the ramp and the basement, the library is built entirely of sturdy timber bordering.  Jalousie shutters are built into the structure to withstand the hurricane season associated with majority of the Caribbean Islands. The sleek veranda portrays that of a Georgian- style design and is extended around the entire periphery of the building.  The steeply pitched roof is made of galvanize with a double roof structure and gables that resist the wind.  The southern end of the building overlooks a small garden and the Caribbean Sea.

This building portrays traditional architecture which has essentially remained the same since 1906 with minor modifications. The library is now known as the Public Library of Dominica and is home to local, regional, and international books. Specific attention is placed on reference books of the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, Dominica. The historic architecture of the Caribbean portrays the diverse cultures and ethnic groups that came together to make the Caribbean the cultural melting pot it is today (Crain 1994). The first Crown Colony’s Administrator’s contribution of this composed architecture of the Public Library has contributed to the island’s urban geography of history and culture as many other buildings built after the library was based on this design.

References:

Crain, Edward E. 1994. Historic architecture in the Caribbean islands. University Press of Florida.

Knox, Paul L.,Marston Sali A. 2001. Human Geography: Places and Regions in Global Context. Pearson Education.

Niddrie D. L. 1966. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, No. 40 ,pp. 67-80

Dominica Architecture: https://books.google.tt/books?id=UNUSbvkWDP0C&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=architecture+of+Dominica+library+Hesketh+Bell&source

Throughout the Caribbean some countries are more developed in architectural design. Comparing the national library of Dominica to that of Trinidad, it is evident that the initial design has the same historical background influenced by European intervention. However, Trinidad has entered the post colonial era as they have modified their National Library.

Photo taken by Jhon Pierre Maxwell                           Source: Uwispace.sta.uwi.edu.

Present Fire Station and National Library 2016         Old Fire Station – Trinidad 

The Trinidad and Tobago National Library was first established in Port of Spain in 1851. The architecture and the design portray a postmodern architectural design. Postmodernism describes the colourful styles of architecture and the decorative arts that appeared in the late 20^th century in reaction to Modernism. (Waters 2016). The NALIS Library shows a polished pyramid layout. Each floor of the building has its own category of books. It is constructed with concrete and steel with a built in elevator.

The old fire station which was used as a theatre workshop for 10 years (1989-99), is currently part of the library. It was constructed in 1896/1897 and refurbished in 2000. The British architectural influence from the age of colonialism is evident in this building. The roof tops are traditionally triangularly shaped. The structure and stability of the building itself is stabilised by strong concrete which was shipped to Trinidad by the European colonies.

The national Library has contributed too many significant academics and preservation of History. These two architectural designs, old and new portrays the different periods of development within the urban space as time progressed. It also shows the integration of different traditional architectures within the city of Trinidad, Port of Spain.

References:

Oriens Ex Occidente Lux, 2010. University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Trinidad. "Fire Station, Port Of Spain, Trinidad". Uwispace.sta.uwi.edu. N.p.

Waters, Suzanne. 2016. "Postmodernism". Architecture.com. N.p.,