Page 15 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 15

A15
                                                                                                           LOCAL Tuesday 7 November 2017

             Monuments


             Continued

             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).
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