THE EVOLUTION of DOMINICAN 

ARCHITECTURE

Photo taken by Kimara Dyer               -Ruins Rock Cafe, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica

This photo is taken down town, King George V Street, at the Old Market Square in the main city of Dominica, Roseau. This stone masonry is one of the most popular bars on the island called, “Ruins”. Originally, this building was not built for the sole purpose of a bar and restaurant; however, it has been reconstructed over the years to fit that purpose. This popular bar is where most people come to ‘lime’ (relax) on a Friday evening after a long hard working week. People of all ages patronize the bar and the local exotic drinks and spices sold are very unique.

The single-story building is made of a variety of materials. The top section depicts that of sculptured stone and the base is made of a mixture of stone and concrete. The doors are made of bamboo which is a local material on the island. The bamboo is painted in colours of the flag which depicts patriotism.  A combination of wood, concrete and bamboo generates historical architecture within the space of the city. The mixture of local material to complete this building structure shows the character of the content sold within the bar. The bar sells strictly local drinks and gives a Caribbean ambiance which makes it comfortable for locals as well as tourists to enjoy.  Also common to the city is that of the bench located in front of the building. These benches are not solely created as a place to sit but are sponsored by local businesses and serves as a form of advertisement.

On the island, there are many other buildings similar to the one displayed. Often times, a section of a broken down building is utilized for a specific reason which differs from the original purpose. The photo shows that this building was initially a two storey building which is evident from the visible extended stone columns above the first storey which has been dilapidated due to the notorious hurricane seasons in the past.  This has become traditional architecture where the history of the building is not lost and one is able to envision the material and structure of the buildings of the past. As a result it gives the area an antique setting downtown by the Old Market.

As time passed into the 20^th and 21^st century, Caribbean cultures have begun to adopt more modern approaches to construction while working to preserve the past (Crain 1994). As time progresses, urban settlement patterns change with time and architectural forms evolve (Paul 2001). Crane and Paul’s depiction is illustrated on the island of Dominica. The utilization of existing infrastructure to develop a new architectural design for a purpose which differs from the original intention creates a new and unique architectural form on the island of Dominica. This is seen throughout the island in the rural and urban spaces. As a result the early structural design is visible; and this in turn develops a sense of place down town as it depicts true traditional architecture as the structure of early and modern design are combined.

References:

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

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