Filming the documentary: Curacao

The first days of filming for our documentary ‘a search for contemporary Caribbean architecture’ are over! We have been filming on Curacao over the past few days.

A quick update

We start filming at Playa Kanoa to capture the raw side of the island, where Lyongo shares a story about his childhood on the island. While filming on the island, we had some interesting conversations with local designers, residents and researchers.

At the Curacao Medical Center we’ve spoke with Shawn Zimmerman, architect, and Zamir Narvaez, student Built Environment at UOC about the impact of the new hospital on the population. With Shawn we discussed the new design and some of the choices we’ve made regarding the Caribbean climate. Together with Zamir and Shawn, Lyongo discussed what the prospects are after you graduate on the island as a designer. They share some insight in some of the challenges that they face.

In two residential areas – Montana Abou and Hofi Vidanova – we discussed the effect of a new residential area on the local culture. Montana Abou is a social residential area, which was created as a connection between two excisting neighborhoods. Rhuendley Janzen, built environment and heritage specialist, is a former resident of the adjacent neighborhood and walked through it years ago with Lyongo to see what it would take to develop Montana Abou in such a way that everyone feels at home here. Not all parts of the plan have been realized or have been successful. One of the residents we spoke to gave an insight into what daily life is like in this neighborhood and what challenges she experiences in the home. A much appreciated critical look at Lyongo’s design. Yet for Rhuendley it is a great example of social housing on Curacao. In this scene he shares why this neighborhood is the connecting factor between his old neighborhood and the other neighboring area.

Hofi Vidanova, a developing neighborhood, is a large-scale housing project. Here Lyongo invited Raichel Martina to take a look at this new residential area. Raichel was a former student of Lyongo. He shares how he has developed as a person and architect on the island. What does contemporary Caribbean architecture mean to him? And how do you include the local, existing values in the design process for a new residential area?

We also visited the Mongui Maduro Library, where we discussed with Stephanie van Heijningen, social – cultural & behavioral researcher, the role public buildings – in particular libraries and archives. Although it was good that a new and larger building was built for the local archives, she initially had to get used to the modern architecture. Now this feels like a second home. This is mainly due to the design choices that have been made. She explains how this design helps her with her research.