Aruba’s architecture has not only been represented in house-making projects for its inhabitants, but also in the fact that it’s adapted itself to ways, trends and individual expressions. All Caribbean islands have been strongly influenced by European trends, and Aruba is no exception. Oldest houses used to be bricked together with pebbly particles called caliche, a calcium-base substance found in the hills of southeastern Aruba. Slanted gables are commonplace in many of the island’s buildings as a way of shunning heat, while their straight and small windows let the fresh breeze blow into the house. A great deal of these constructions has lived out the course of time; others built with rocks have survived and now remain almost untouched by the impairment of time.Even though cement and reinforced concrete have replaced older materials, contemporary housing projects keep many basic elements found in traditional houses. Such new features as lengthier but narrower windows have been added. Changes in wooden blinds, the introduction of patios and tiles and a detailed ornamentation of gables, balconies and entrances have also been included.The oldest reminder of ancient Dutch-style architecture is the Fort Zoutman and the King Williem III’s Tower, both finished in 1796. The fort was named after Zoutman, a Dutch admiral, while the tower’s weaponry hinges on four cannons. In 1868, the Tower was fitted with Aruba’s first-ever public clock; it also served as a lighthouse beacon using a gasoline lamp. During almost a century, Fort Zoutman hosted government offices, a police station and a prison. It currently houses the Aruba Museum telling the history of the island nation from its dawn to date.
