Page 13 - ATA

A14 LOCAL
Friday 18 May 2018

Monuments

Continued from Page 13

And the best is that I can
almost guarantee you the
magic of the local touch
when you bump into an
authentic cunucu house
(country house) and talk
to the owners. They will
proudly share their family
history with you.”

Outside Inspiration:
The Monumentfund ac- Water Tower San Nicolaas in the old days (above); Water Tower
quires or buys monuments San Nicolas by night in present time (right).
and restores them back
into their former glory. He and his family came ing at the non-tangible
Then they rent it out. “That here to the outdoors as part of heritage: the stories
sounds easy, but it is in- in those times there was to be told, the music to be
credibly complex as most only cunucu (countryside) played, the dinners that
monuments have multiple here. They had big parties were cooked in the plac-
owners due to the fact that and enjoyed leisure time es we try to restore. That
inheritants are split and all with family and friends.” keeps it alive. Most of our
need to decide upon the Wealthier Arubans at that monuments are meant to
selling.” They cooperate time looked outwards for be lived in so we would like
with the government of- architecture inspiration as to reintroduce the joy of
fice of monuments be- that was considered chic, living in a monument. We
cause they set the rules of Witsenburg explains. Either work together with private
what you can and cannot to the US (art deco style companies to look into
do to a protected monu- like the water tower in San that.” In their office they
ment. “We also have the Nicolas), Holland (Dutch installed solar panels, use
task to maintain the build- colonial style) or Colom- LED lightning and recently
ings which is an ongoing bia/Venezuela. “This house implemented an electrical
process. The wind, the salt is inspired by a villa around charging point for electric
in the air and the sun - that Cartagena, Colombia. The vehicles.
not only burns human bod- ideas mostly came from
ies but also buildings, which the wives”, she says laugh- The Monumentfund Aruba
is a huge challenge. Next ing. is open every day from
to that we do education, Monday to Friday from
create awareness and Sustainability Driven: 8am to 5pm. You are more help. For more information fondsaruba and the web-
maintain public relations Sustainability is a big thing than welcome to ask for visit their Facebook page site http://www.monumen-
about our monuments.” to the Monumentfund Aru- information, guiding and stichtingmonumenten- tenfondsaruba.com.q
The office of the Monu- ba. Witsenburg: “Obviously
mentfund is actually locat- to restore old buildings and
ed in a monument itself. not destroy them to build
The building is beautiful new ones is already sus-
and has a tropical style. tainable in itself. Then we
“This house goes back to have the technical sustain-
the 1920’s when it was ability as in using the right
built as a vacation house materials and techniques
by Aruban entrepreneur but also the social sustain-
Mr. Adisson Winfield Croes. ability. That includes look-

Nicolaas Store during Carnaval in the old days (left); Nicolaas Store renovated in the present (right).