Exploring the Self-Build Architecture of the African Curaçaoans during the Post-Emancipation Period
Z.M.A. van Oostrom (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
K. Zhu – Mentor
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Abstract
The African Curacaoan architecture has been underexposed in the architectural history of the island and incorrectly generalised as slums or slave huts. Curaçao has a rich creolised architectural history and this paper aims to document the African Curacaoan part of this history. This paper primarily focuses on the post-emancipation period between 1863-1915, but takes a broader look at the history of African Curacaoans from their arrival in the 17th Century until the mid-20th Century. This paper aims to gain a better understanding of the events leading up to emancipation, as well as the progress and developments towards prosperity and agency that occurred after the emancipation. This paper addresses themes at the intersection between postcolonialism and spatial justice: the territorialisation of islands and the denigration of the self-build architecture of marginalised communities in Central and South America. In order to understand how African Curacaoan building practices developed, it is important to examine the power dynamics during and after the colonial period in Curaçao. Additionally, this research explores the available resources for construction and the cultural inluences that shaped the architectural styles. Lastly, this paper provides an overview of the housing types created by the African Curacaoan population.