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Volume
15, Number 13 |
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Also
in this section:  Pillars along the streets, with
working and living spaces set back a ways and thus sheltered from the
sun and the rain -- these are hallmarks of an urban building style
pioneered
in France's Caribbean departments
Colon's
French Caribbean architectural influencephotos by Allan Hawkins Despite recent unrest and a certain amount of Third World nationalism, the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe are still departments of France, with the same formal representation in the Paris government as departments in Metropolitan France. They do, however, have certain cultural distinctions, one of which is architectural. French Caribbean architecture is a living thing, with its modern expressions. It's related to the French Creole architecture that still can be found in Louisiana. However, the major intersection between French Caribbean and Panamanian architecture came in the late 19th century, when the French were trying to build a canal here. Panamanian architects of that time and later were influenced by the style, and to some extent so were some of the Americans who designed the old Canal Zone and the West Indians who built it. While one can find French Caribbean architectural influences in many places in Panama, its major repository is along the streets of Colon City, that square mile on what long ago was Manzanillo Island, a slightly elevated patch of mangrove swamp before the Panama Railroad and others began to fill it in and build a city on it. Most of these buildings are dilapidated, but some have been restored and there are a few newer buildings that show some of the style's influence.    
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