A re-think of the urban model of St. George’s, the historic capital town of Grenada, unearths strategies for reversing the disintegration of its fabric, by rejuvenating its connective tissue and public spaces to support ideals of community, equity and inclusion. It represents a search for a distinctly regional trajectory in architecture rooted in place, a synthesis of the Caribbean’s cultural and geographical idiosyncrasies, its social and economic imperatives, and ubiquitous environmental concerns.
Proposals for re-purposing decaying forts, re-injecting public life into urban spaces, and realization of the Grenada House of Parliament are examined in relation to decongested transportation linkages, sustainability, commercial viability, resilience to natural disasters and changes in the global ecology.

 

GHOP – Grenada House of Parliament 

At the apex of the lush Mt. Wheldale in St. George’s, the new Grenada House of Parliament presides over a panorama of the capital town and the south west coast. Strategically situated and imbued with symbolism, this modern icon of democracy and transparency was forged from historical references, geographic imperatives, considerations of sustainability and progressive applications of local materials and techniques.

Form and Topography

From the approach three main tectonic elements reveal themselves within a harmonious overall composition and provide a clear infrastructure for organizing the program of the building – the Chamber, the Peristyle, and the Rampart. The building form is assertively defined, yet its envelope visually and physically permeable, blurring the distinction between interior and exterior space.

Symbolism

The Rampart borrows its rusticated expression from the ruins of colonial forts laced throughout memory and the existing town. It provides the main public access between the levels of the building, with its sloping fortified walls housing the administrative functions at the Ground Floor.

In plan, the curved tiered seating for the public within the Chamber evokes the form of the nutmeg, a visual reference and symbol well entrained within the collective psyche of the ‘Isle of Spice’. In section, the materials, form and structure of the Chamber walls allude to the handcrafted boat building tradition of Grenada’s sister isle Carriacou.

Climate

The layering of spaces to create a gradual transition from the natural setting and landscaped areas, through covered open-air areas and finally into the enclosed volumes is an important formal strategy which optimizes passive cooling and natural daylighting of the spaces. In conjunction with the incorporation of energy efficient building services, double glazed low-E windows, solar water heating, rainwater harvesting, and multi-hazard engineering design, the resulting solution is a sustainable building that promises durability, resilience and efficiency over its life cycle.

By day, tropical sunlight is tempered by the Peristyle to bathe the open-air spaces around the Chamber with a luminous wash and animate them with long shifting dappled shadows of the pillars and perforated aluminum rainscreens. By night, LEDs illuminate the Peristyle, throwing the building envelope into resplendent relief against the night sky, a dramatic celebration of a new emblem of institutional strength and democracy, and a seminal architectural landmark for Grenada.

CURE – Carenage Urban Revitalization Effort  

A re-think of the urban model of St. George’s, the historic capital town of Grenada, unearths strategies for reversing the disintegration of its fabric, by rejuvenating its connective tissue and public spaces to support ideals of community, equity and inclusion. It represents a search for a distinctly regional trajectory in architecture rooted in place, a synthesis of the Caribbean’s cultural and geographical idiosyncrasies, its social and economic imperatives, and ubiquitous environmental concerns. A vision to re-inject public life into the urban space of the town’s harbor, and realisation of the Grenada House of Parliament are examined in relation to sustainability, commercial viability, resilience to natural disasters and changes in the global ecology.

Lost public space of the town is reinstated vis-à-vis a promenade that ensconces the Carenage, adding a protective layer to ensure climate resilience and sustainability for the harbor. The creation of an active zone of leisure, and cultural activities precipitated by the refurbishment of the National Library. Its space and the surrounding built environment become the incubator where a new vibrant Center of Knowledge and Innovation is spawned.

Vestiges of the town’s history are refashioned. Cobblestone pavement match the original surface treatment of the town roads. An iconic pavilion presides over its reclaimed territory wrapped in a woven tapestry evoking the traditional craft of basketry.  The activation of an urban beltway is emblematic of a revitalized economy. Control of the island’s productive sectors is restored by its people.