Original architecture
The pre-colonial era saw the development of a type of housing that today constitutes one of the traditional symbols of the islands of Trinidad & Tobago: the ajoupa. Originally built from natural materials, this type of dwelling was entirely designed to adapt to the islands' climate: steeply sloping roofs made from tightly-woven palm leaves to protect against the rain and allow water to run off; solid wall panels made from roughly-hewn wooden poles and joined with tapia (a mixture of straw and mud), but with spaces left open to allow permanent ventilation of the interior spaces, also made possible by the existence of a single, constantly-open entrance. These structures, rectangular or circular in plan, were very often built on wooden stilts, the elevation providing protection from frequent flooding and pests, while ensuring constant ventilation. This original habitat has been perpetuated over the centuries, with the addition of modern features. In the 19th century, the "cottage" style of ajoupas was born, retaining their stilted structure, wooden frames and latticed, airy panels filled with a mixture of moist earth, but also featuring high, decorated gables, roof dormers where galvanized sheet metal has often replaced thatch, windows protected by wooden shutters, and above all, colorful facades. These bright colors are also found on the picturesque wooden beach houses, most of which feature large, airy terraces.
Colonial era
The Spaniards were the first to make their mark on the islands of Trinidad & Tobago, in the 16th century. The first buildings were of a military nature. One of the few examples of this period is Fort Andres in Port of Spain, which originally replaced a redoubt made of earth and bundles of branches, and was designed as a protective mole linked to the mainland by a wooden bridge. In terms of town planning, royal edicts imposed a checkerboard pattern, as evidenced by the original structure of Port of Spain. The Spanish colonists also built numerous missions, which were conceived as veritable miniature cities. They were organized around courtyards lined with the mission's flagship buildings. To the east, and always oriented east-west, was the church, flanked by the community house, whose architecture reflected a mix of European and local styles, with tapia walls, thatched roofs and wood carvings. The rest of the buildings were mostly adobe or wattle and daub. Inside the missions were also Amerindian family homes, recognizable by their open rectangular structures. But it was above all the French and English settlers who left the strongest imprint on Trinidad & Tobago. In the 17th century, the French opted for solidity and massiveness, building mainly in stone, in styles that gave the islands the appearance of a French province, with their mansard-roofed dwellings. The British presence was primarily military. Fort George and Fort Abercromby were part of a large system of fortifications comprising a series of batteries, watchtowers and dungeons, as well as a series of platforms offering strategic, unobstructed views to protect Trinidad. Following the great fire of 1808, which ravaged much of Port of Spain, Sir Ralph Woodford, the governor at the time, decided on a new urban plan based on a grid layout and British-inspired architecture. The aim was to rebuild, enlarge and embellish. The great symbol of this reconstruction is the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, entirely redesigned in a neo-Gothic style with superb stained glass windows (and a bell tower whose limestone was eventually replaced by a wooden structure to avoid excessive damage in the event of earthquakes!) Another fine example of neo-Gothic architecture is Holy Trinity Cathedral, with its lancet windows, pine buttresses and steeply pitched roofs, all made from local wood, blue limestone from the Laventille quarries and yellow bricks imported from England. For public buildings, the British opted for the sober, harmonious neoclassical style found at the Port of Spain General Hospital. Towards the end of the 19th century, the islands experienced an unprecedented architectural effervescence. Born of a blend of French, British and local influences, the Trinidadian style that developed was resolutely eclectic, but above all perfectly adapted to the islands' climate.
This is how the so-called Gingerbread Houses (also found on the island of Haiti) came into being. Their key features : roofs adorned with sculpted ridge purlins, crests and cornices decorated with finely chiselled elements, dormers flanked by moulded elements, sloping gables decorated with scalloped wood or metal pieces and pyramidal elements offering an impression of height and elevation ; and facades punctuated by projecting roof overhangs adorned with lace-like wood or wrought-iron mantling, balconies with elegantly interlaced cast-iron or wrought-iron balustrades, galleries offering a constant interior/exterior relationship, doors and windows protected by jalousies, louvers or clerestory systems (also known as Demerara windows, i.e. louvered windows with no glass but protected by hinged wooden shutters). These elegant pavilions were most often built in wood on foundations combining stilt structures and masonry elements, and often preceded by porticoes with elegant metal latticework for protection. Organized around courtyards or atriums for light and ventilation, these pavilions featured rooms with high, vaulted ceilings for air circulation. The great master of this style was architect George Brown, who helped popularize it among the working classes. His signature? The architect was always careful to incorporate elements from his native Scotland, be they materials (cast iron), machines imported from the island to work the materials or small decorative symbols. Many of these treasures can be seen in Port of Spain's Woodbrook, Belmont and St. Clair districts. This very Victorian eclecticism also manifested itself in the development of commercial architecture, notably along Frederick Street, with stores featuring large glass facades punctuated by decorative cast-iron columns, creating protective galleries for passers-by; and in the particular attention paid to parks, green spaces and other botanical gardens, including those in Port of Spain, which are among the oldest in the world. Queen's Park Savannah is the emblem of this green architecture, with its 110 ha and 3.5 km perimeter (making it one of the longest traffic circles in the world!) and its sobritish cricket and rugby pitches. At the turn of the century, nature served as the backdrop for an architecture whose eclecticism was pushed to the limit, as evidenced by the "Magnificent Seven", legendary residences that will make your head spin. Don't miss stollmeyer's Castle, whose imposing crenellated gray stone structure is directly inspired by Balmoral Castle; Ambard's House, with its abundant Italian Baroque decor (the marble is imported from Italy), French tile mansard roofs and cast-iron decor of Scottish origin; Whitehall, with its Mediterranean villa all in white Barbadian limestone; or Hayes Court, with its terra-cotta ceramics and tiles, Italian marble, local Demerara windows and very Scottish decorations; and Queen's Royal College, which bears the very German Renaissance stamp of architect Daniel Hahn, who also designed the famous Red House with its elegant spandrels and pediments, and the National Museum and Art Gallery. Other turn-of-the-century masterpieces include the Knowsley Building, whose elegant structure blends yellow brick, hand-crafted local limestone and purple Guiana wood; and the Maison Boissière, with its superb lace-like cresting and mantling, elegant portico and, above all, small pavilions with roofs reminiscent of Asian pagodas. A blend of genres much appreciated by the masters of the great plantations, whose mansions were enthroned in the midst of vast estates. Large verandas, wide terraces and numerous windows ensured magnificent views of nature... but also enabled them to monitor the activity of the plantation and its slaves. This sumptuous architecture should not obscure the fact that the entire plantation system (cocoa, sugar, indigo...) was based on slavery. Of African origin, slaves were confined to "neighborhoods" where they managed to keep their traditions alive, particularly in terms of housing, where they built long rectangular buildings on stilts with thatched roofs, usually made of wood and clay wattle and daub, and flanked by porches and protected areas essential to community life.
Modern and contemporary architecture
Fewer in number than the astonishing examples of Trinidadian eclecticism, a number of interesting modern buildings have nonetheless been erected in Port of Spain; buildings with simple, uncluttered geometric lines of resolutely Art Deco inspiration, such as the Treasury Building and the McEnearny Building. During the Second World War, the islands of Trinidad & Tobago were used as a military base by the Americans, who left their mark on local architecture, particularly in the residential sector. After the war, Trinidadian architect Anthony Lewis, trained at the Illinois Institute of Technology, was inspired by the international style of Mies van der Rohe, with whom he had studied, while incorporating local elements inspired by the ajupas. The Wight House, with its rectangular, horizontal concrete volumes, façade covered with wooden elements in vertical patterns and roof composed of airy blocks, is a perfect example of this mix of genres. Other architects drew their inspiration from the organic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, creating elegant houses with large sliding windows, balconies and terraces, a harmonious blend of wood and concrete. The American influence was also felt on the outskirts of the capital, with the proliferation of ranch and bungalow-style homes. After years marked by a severe economic and social crisis, in the 1990s the islands experienced a dazzling economic boom based on the gas and oil industries. Glass and steel towers were erected everywhere, especially in Port of Spain. The Eric Williams Financial Complex is the quintessential example of this architecture of prosperity, with its two 92 m-high skyscrapers, renamed the Twin Towers. Interestingly, both towers have been designed to better withstand earthquakes: cross-bracing and load-bearing walls have been engineered to absorb 15-85% of seismic thrusts, while the bases of the towers feature a system of plates and beams designed as a sort of floating raft to absorb shocks and provide greater resistance. Not far away, the elliptical Nicholas Tower, all blue glass, soars 88 m into the air. But the most interesting contemporary building is the National Academy of Performing Arts, an astonishing glass structure with arches and curves, giving it the appearance of an elegant shell. Already very much in evidence in previous centuries, as can be seen in beautiful villas such as the Lion House in Chaguaras, all arches and interlacing, and sublimated by an astonishing use of color, the Indian influence is still very much in evidence today, as demonstrated by two superb Hindu temples that are not to be missed: the Carapichaima Temple on the Sea (so named because it took years to build it on this wet, marshy area near the sea), surrounded by numerous statues, octagonal in plan, full of color, and famous for its murtis (Indian divinities sculpted in gold, silver, bronze or stone) ; and the Sri Dattatreya Centre, whose entrance is flanked by two giant elephant statues and whose ceilings are adorned with numerous paintings and colorful statuettes. Astonishing!
