Legendary architecture
For millennia, Belize was under the control of the great Mayan civilization. Within their powerful city-states, the Maya developed monumental stone architecture. Endowed with an acute sense of urban planning, they imagined their urban settlements as mirrors of social hierarchies. Thus, cities were divided into two parts. On one side was the ceremonial heart, often accessed via an archway and containing pyramids, palaces, temples and ball games, all organized around large areas or squares, similar to agoras. Priests and high dignitaries lived here. The rest of the population lived further away, in what we might call the peripheries. For their dwellings, the population used only natural, perishable materials: fruit trees to make the beams and posts for the framework; cedar or mahogany to create the doors, windows and frames; sticks and branches bound together by vines or limestone mud to make the walls; stones to consolidate the foundations; and thatch for the two- or four-sloped roofs, which were always very steep. Many villages, particularly in the south of the country, continue these traditions and still have thatched and wooden huts, although corrugated iron and wooden planks have also made their appearance.
But let's leave these "Mayan suburbs" behind and return to the ceremonial heartlands, the scene of all manner of extravagance. Extremely abundant in Belize, limestone was the material of choice for the Mayas, who used it in the form of mortar, stucco or plaster. Limestone was also crushed and burned to make lime. The Mayas also invented a type of cement made from lime, a white earth called sahcab, and water. It's fascinating to see how this civilization developed building techniques of the highest quality, notably in the cutting and fitting of limestone blocks, using only rudimentary tools made of jade, obsidian or flint, lead sinkers for levels and human and animal traction. All the buildings were erected on stone bases of varying heights, the flagship being the Great Pyramid, known as El Castillo. Where the Egyptians used the pyramid as a burial site, the Mayans used it as a platform on which to erect a temple or sanctuary, thus placing it as close as possible to the gods. These stepped pyramids feature impressively steep staircases and progressively tapering terraces, in a consummate art of proportion and perspective. The Maya are famous for having invented the false vaulting technique, which consists of superimposed mortar-bonded stones that overlap and eventually meet, but without the central stone acting as keystone to support the whole, hence the name false vault or corbelled vault. This technique also explains why the spaces opened up at the time were in fact cramped, especially as the walls were extremely thick. Today, it's hard to imagine the decorative extravagance that reigned at the heart of these colorful cities of temples, palaces and pyramids! For the sake of homogeneity, surfaces were covered with plaster, then painted with organic mineral pigments. Added to this was an innate sense of decoration used in what many have called "an epic style". The art of bas-relief, mosaics, painting... the Maya mastered it all, adorning their buildings with astonishing masks of divinities, mosaics with geometric motifs or glyphs (graphic signs). The Caracol site boasts the highest man-made structure in the country, its 43 m-high pyramid, topped by three smaller pyramids. The site also boasts one of the largest concentrations of sacbés in the Mayan empire (70 km). Sacbés were raised stone paths flanked by low walls and covered with protective mortar linking the major Maya centers to their satellites.
Other major Mayan sites include: Xunantunich, nicknamed "the stone virgin", with its dozens of temples and palaces surrounding vast courtyards and its Castillo decorated with superb stucco frescoes; Cuello with its beautiful stelae, rich tombs and the remains of houses grouped around courtyards; Altun Ha and its jade treasures; or Lamanai and its pyramid with jaguar masks and superb engraved stelae; not forgetting Cahal Pech, one of the country's oldest Mayan cities and home to astonishing long buildings and two large ball games. A civilization that continues to arouse the curiosity of researchers, since in 2022, a team of archaeologists explored the depths of a lagoon at the Ta'ab Nuk Na saline site, and discovered traces of vast residential buildings recognizable by their wooden poles, strangely preserved by the water. These poles are proof of the existence of an urban and artisanal center where dozens of wooden and thatched huts once stood. Astonishing! A natural architecture found among the Garifunas, a people born of the interbreeding of black slaves and indigenous peoples. Their traditional houses were made of palm wood for the frame; braided wild cane, trunks and clay for the wall panels; and palm thatch for the gable roofs. In the villages, the dabuyaba was a kind of large community temple facing east, with a large open porch and rounded corners. Today, Garifunas prefer huts with coloured wooden planks and corrugated iron roofs, on stilts or cement block foundations.
Between colonial and Caribbean influences
Unlike its Central American neighbors, Belize has very few Spanish remains. However, the presence of these settlers can be discerned in the remains of stone churches they built in the 16th and 17thcenturies to replace certain temples on Mayan sites, notably Tipu and Lamanai. Their churches resembled native huts erected on stone platforms, with thatched roofs, low stone and clay walls, and sculptures and effigies combining Christian elements and Mayan motifs. In fact, it was the British who left their most lasting mark on the island. In the 17th century, the first British settlers were interested in the exploitation of the luxurious Mahogany wood, for which they established trading posts and work camps. The Warrie Head Ranch and Lodge reflects the prosperity of this period, with its superb wooden furnishings and a museum housing the mills and steam engines needed for logging. They also settled in Belize City, but the city's expansion was slow and constrained by the need to gain land on swampy ground. The great phase of colonial expansion came in the 19th century, when the British developed a tropical colonial architecture with eclectic Victorian accents. Everything was done to adapt to the country's climate, hence the brick or stone foundations, often openwork to create crawl spaces for insulation and ventilation; colonnaded galleries and verandas surrounding the houses; and wooden shutters protecting the windows. But to this practicality was added a distinctly European eclecticism, with the great buildings of the time recalling in turn Greek temples with sculpted pediments and Corinthian columned porches, or neoclassical palaces of astonishing symmetry. This eclecticism can also be seen in the brick and wooden cathedrals and churches, whose semicircular arches, superb stained-glass windows, crenellated towers and wooden decorations are reminiscent of the neo-Romanesque and neo-Gothic styles that were very much in vogue on the European continent at the time. To immerse yourself in this picturesque colonial atmosphere, Belize City is the place to go. The architect was none other than Sir Christopher Wren, famous for having built St. Paul's Cathedral and Kensington Palace in London, and who endowed this jewel of tropical architecture with sobritish bow-windows! Other not-to-be-missed gems include the Great House Inn, one of Belize's grandest colonial buildings, with its dazzling whiteness; the Belize Supreme Court (actually a replica of the original building destroyed by fire in 1918), with its elegant domed clock tower; and the St. Johns Anglican Cathedral. We can also admire the St. Johns Anglican Cathedral, the oldest European building in the country and a veritable brick fortress; the neoclassical Museum of Belize; the Holy Redeemer Cathedral and its superb Mahogany wood furnishings; and the very first US embassy, with its colonnades worthy of the great Greek temples. The British presence also took on more modernist trappings, particularly after the 1961 hurricane devastated much of Belize City, prompting the authorities to build a new capital from scratch in Belmopan. Among the most interesting modernist buildings is the Bliss Center for Performing Arts, a kind of ocean liner reaching out towards the ocean with its interplay of square, rectangular and rounded volumes and its play of heights, giving it a unique silhouette. Alongside these European influences, Belize has also seen the development of a resolutely Caribbean style of architecture. Particularly on the coast, you'll find picturesque houses built on stilts. Made of shingles or planks of wood, they can also be recognized by their wooden shutters, projecting gabled roofs creating small verandas at the front and rear of the houses, or their removable timber-framed facades reminiscent of stalls. These houses generally have two bedrooms and a large open-plan living/kitchen area. Their varied color palette is one of the most vibrant facets of Belize's identity!
Amazing contemporary Belize
Despite their modest size, Belmopan and Belize City have seen the development of glass, concrete and steel buildings, notably in the government complexes of Belmopan and the Central Bank complex of Belize City. Unfortunately, this development has often been to the detriment of historical heritage, whose finest treasures were added in 2012 to the list of World Monuments Watch, a program designed to encourage the protection and preservation of endangered heritage. More recently, Mayan sites have been added to the list, some of which, like Nohmul, have been looted or destroyed to use the materials in the construction of roads and other modern infrastructures. Belize is gradually coming to grips with the dangers threatening its treasures and is beginning to initiate restoration campaigns, and we can only hope that this momentum will be sustained over time, even if tourism may weigh negatively in the balance. However, some initiatives are not lacking in originality, such as the Fort Street Tourism Village in Belize City, a sort of contemporary reconstruction of a port terminal with concrete or wooden stores and restaurants, geometrically shaped gables in a variety of colors and a large, pleasant waterfront promenade. Another stunning contemporary achievement is the Palapa Pineapple on the charming island of Caye Caulker. This private residence takes the form of a monolithic dome (cast in a single piece) over 7 m in diameter and 12 m high, topped by a thatched roof, giving it the appearance of... a pineapple! But today, all eyes are on Blackadore Caye, the island that actor Leonardo DiCaprio bought in 2005 to transform into a unique eco-resort. The project has been delayed several times, but there is now talk of a possible opening in 2023/2024. Working in collaboration with architect Jason McLennan, founder of Living Building Challenge, the actor has set himself the goal of creating the world's first regenerating island. A victim of overfishing and deforestation, the island will benefit from structures designed to reverse the effects of global warming and human exploitation. 116 rooms, 68 villas, 48 secluded mansions, an arc of floating suites overlooking a network of artificial reefs, spa, restaurant... this island will be a temple of luxury, but designed in collaboration with biologists and ecologists to preserve natural habitats, replant mangroves, replant natural species and sanctuary areas away from all human intervention. Blackadore Caye or when Hollywood reinvents eco-tourism!
