Locals express concerns over ‘lack of BVI identity’ in ferry dock designs
Some Virgin Islanders have been expressing concerns with the aesthetics of the design for the new West End Ferry Terminal saying it does not cater to the identity of the Virgin Islands.
Speaking at the public meeting hosted by the government last evening, one resident questioned if any consideration for national identity was given when designing the structure rather than the ‘mimicry’ of modernism in the detailed plan.
“I do respect this structure for its modernism but its perhaps potential ‘passé’ (unfashionable) and perhaps we could look at structures that are represented more of the natural materials we have here as there are a lot of useful stones in West End,” the resident said.
He noted that stones have been proven historically as the most durable structures in the territory dating back to colonial times.
“The longest-lasting buildings in the islands are built with stone. Maybe that hadn’t been considered enough but I am just putting that forward. I would love the BVI to be more visually identifiable in this structure. It’s very alien and I hope that something more solid, more firm and long-lasting would be considered,” he continued.
The resident also questioned the attractiveness of the building to incoming visitors.
“I am wondering how much consideration actually went into the expectations of visitors coming into the BVI. You must think about the fact that they are coming from an urban environment where this kind of architecture is the norm and daily life for them and perhaps the sort of futuristic projection that is being placed into the imagination here perhaps not as exciting or attractive to the tourist visitors that are coming in,” he pointed out.
Design’s won’t always be to everyone’s liking
Meanwhile, Premier Andrew Fahie said the designs of a structure of this magnitude may not always be to the liking of everyone, but the main goal is to be modern.
“The main point is to make sure it is futuristic in use and also allows for future expansion and also many other areas inside and outside where future expansion is allowed. I am confident that with this process that we are following, we have done so with it as much as is humanely possible,” the Premier said.
Premier Fahie as well as INROS Lackner SE — the German company hired to complete the structural design — described the new West End Ferry Terminal design as ‘futuristic and organic’ .
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
The public does not like the structure because it does not fit into our historic and cultural architecture..
Beyond the apparent design shortcomings how does this million dollar plan address parking and overcrowding due to the adjacent hillside and lack of space?
I see you want the lovely stones and anything that reminds you of the dungeon. The history and culture embody slavery. This is the only thing one of the art ogorn residents could have thought of. I don’t want to sound racist but be careful of this nonsense about history and culture. The design looks amazing. Take it from the Germans. You people complain too much then jealous of other places for looking better than the BVI.
Slavery was abolished in the 1830s in the BVI..none of us were alive then and most structures in existence today weren’t around then – give us a break….
Do you know what Culture means? It is not Slavery or slave rituals….and FYI its the people who say that they aren’t racist are the most racist people on the planet.
Stones are all over bvi also some good stone builders so the out design can be mixed with stones and design the inside space differently .
A depressingly ordinary modernist pastiche. Ugly and Impractical. Who designs a glass roofed building in the tropics. ? Fahie should not be the arbiter of taste and design. Modern? What’s so wonderful about “ modern “. Let’s see some alternates and let the people who will be using it decide.
Organic?
Is it made from wood?
What we have been shown is some off the shelf pictures they had lying around from other projects. No consideration has been given to our culture. The project will allegedly go to the biggest kickback anyway so might as well save our breath and hope the ministers all get a cut.
What is your culture? It’s in you statement. Your mind was conditioned to be ungrateful and cheeky. What’s up with the kickback. You are so disgraceful.
if you think there wouldn’t be kickbacks, come i have a bucket of cloud that taste like marshmallows i would like to sell you.
It look just like a airport terminal
Is that a bad thing? It is a port of entry that the building is being designed for so it should be ok.
Having been in a property overlooking Sopers Hole during Irma, will this structure standup to future storms? This is a futuristic design that doesn’t represent our beautiful islands in anyway, shape or form!
My same thought… Any consideration had been given to storms and/or hurricanes? Germans don’t have them. Europe get just a few storms and not like in the Caribbean. Aesthetics is good but safety is paramount.
Where are the original plans that were drawn and paid for years ago by the same representative for that district?
Didn’t Natalio say that the high school auditorium planned by the previous government was all glass and could not be built because the glass will mash up from more hurricanes but this building here looks like all glass right in the mouth of water and the hurricane. Am I missing something here?
Apparently there were other designs. Why weren’t these shown to the public? Why weren’t we allowed to at least see what the other design options were? Isn’t it the tax payers money being used to repay the loan? Apparently the design was chosen by key stakeholders – customs, immigration, tourist board and our taxi drivers. The public would love to know their reasoning for opting for this design and why they rejected the others. This is such a key project for the BVI. If the people do not like the current design why not show all the options?!
…to please you all. Whatever was brought to the public would have met criticism. Whenever it is completed you will all be posing around it for selfies to send off to persons elsewhere to show off. Give it a rest.
Detailed as Hurricane ‘resistant’, the architects are hoping to have the building protectable by the lowering of cloths that will be connected by railings in brackets. We know for a fact, from history as a sailing country, a cloth acts like a sail in wind. Going to blow the whole place away.
Please give consideration to the beautiful hip-roofs, elegant shutters, humble colour pallets, clean bannisters, etc. that we could use in our historically efficient back-pocket of culture to make our home the BVI beautiful. Our beauty must not be just natural, but considered with as well as with the damage that we do to her shorelines, hills, and urban areas.
We don’t need futuristic, we need real and present, built-up from the past.
Don’t let me get started on organic…
Everyone talking about culture, In this new and modern age tell me what cultural image should be displayed here? We make complaints over foolishness. Should we go back to the old wooden building styles so that another hurricane can come and remove it. Or should we go back to a shed? Useless arguments.
YAAAAAY!
FINALLY, progress in the way of architecture in the BVI!
I am sooooo happy about this!
As for the BVI identity, go to Roadtown and look at the box and square “confusion”, and ask, how does this define us?
This is deffy the way this place needs to go!
#FUTURISTICDESIGNSBVI
Fahie in a hot rush to cram this down our throats, must be time getting short to the election and he may well not have access to this cookie jar shortly.
This project is ridiculous. Total overkill. Ferry terminal at Red Hook works real well as does Charlotte Amalie. Smaller building, bigger parking. Don’t need no 5 star restaurants or fancy shopping. Heck, look at RoadTown ferry terminal, bigger building and parking down the street. No one planned that out too well.
Have they kicked around a price tag yet, I may have missed it. I’m thinking 100-225 million at least. Going to need to reclaim the seabed and you can bet they’ll want to start digging into the hillside too. Big dollars.
In the case of both buildings you mentioned, you have got to be joking. Standing outside in rain or sun for long periods is ridiculous. They are also too small for the purpose. We need to build for tomorrow and stop building for today and yesterday. It is time for us to come out of that box and think big/large, functional, outstanding, state of the art.
If we are serious about airport expansion then we should focus funding there…why put such a structure in West End and if it cost $1 million for the design we can expect an exponential figure for the construction. I am a lover of modern design but this structure does not fit West End…
We need something that is functional and efficient…let’s face it tourists want to still have that Caribbean feel when they visit our shores
I could see why this place isn’t further. It’s not only the government ministers it’s some of these old fart Christian society ppl. What you guys want? A building with Miami shutters and oleander trees outside
Out of curiosity, what does architecture representative of BVI culture look like? I mean, here and there we have some houses that can be or are considered to be West Indian style. But what exactly is BVI style when it comes to architecture? I am struggling to understand how a building design can embody a culture.
Hip roof…
Mud and straw structure?
NAAAH
Wattle houses and Thatch houses.. n aah
Stone and wood were the homes of the wealthy folks and big shots like the Smiths and others,copied from the slave masters countries.
Thatch houses and wattle house was the culture when I was growing up.
Except for my Fama a lam and some other mulatto high class folks and the Governor and folks in that realm.
Personally I like the design,
What annoys me daily is the sameness of the Tolian homes ..a rectangular cement structure sans creativity and personality. Hurricane Irma didn’t like them either.
Hip roof, gingerbread running board beneath the roof, shingle walls, old time wooden window shutters with hook and eye hole latches, simple but sturdy and long lasting.
Aren’t those styles rather common throughout the Caribbean region? What is intrinsically BV Islander when it comes to architectural design?
Let’s forget the design for a second and focus on the fact that the f**king thing is WAY TOO BIG!!!!!! Where is the data to justify that West End needs anything with a foot print bigger than what is there now? The only thing needed to change is better parking and a structure with a 2nd floor for offices etc. The current foot print is fine, they just need to be efficient at handling the traffic. All we need in West End is a terminal the same as Red Hook, open aired, simple and that is functional.
Mud and straw structure?
NAAAH
Hip roof…
This is a total non issue. There is no BVI identity in construction. Miserable people find anything to complain about. The only concern should be about value for money.
This is all just selective outrage. Plenty offices and buildings went up that doesn’t represent the BVI’s history. Please let it go and let us progress. What I will agree with the concern with the Hurricanes. Hopefully that was considered.
All I am saying is please consider our weather during season. That structure is not for us here in the Caribbean. During the hurricane seasons I do not think that building is sturdy enough to withstand the pressure of the strong winds and timely floods in rainy season. however I hope it does not wash away.
Our country is on the brink of poor. No money for simple life infrastructure. Water and Sewerage just for a start and the roads are nothing more than farm tracks.
The old original airport had a greeting rooftop balcony that did more for tourism re culture than all these crazy ideas. They did the same in Antigua. Election coming so they bring out these carrots of grandure and the daftest isea is yet another cruise pier.
Our gov’t is treating us like dumb sheap and its time we push back on all of them. The whole lot. Demolish the Admin building or re purpose it. Turn msin street into something cultural. Ask Kishma Stout to design the terminal at west end and put her name on it!!!
What’s futuristic or modern about it? I don’t see solar panels in the design. Will it have charge ports for electric vehicles?
I would like to know if this building can whit-stand
a category 4 or 5 hurricane, with a category 5 wind speed of 157 mph and above? The building sitting right there next to water, what about storm surge from the water, how will the building fare?