WILLEMSTAD - During the presentation of the Cola Debrotprijs last Saturday, where Michael Newton was honored for his contributions to architectural restoration in Curaçao, he emphasized the urgent importance of established restoration guidelines for heritage. In his speech, held on Cola Debrot's birthday, Newton underscored the need for collaboration between heritage professionals and organizations to jointly work on these guidelines.
Newton, who is also the chairman of the Monumentenraad, spoke about the great need for clear criteria and guidelines for the restoration of monuments. "In our historic UNESCO city center, approximately half of the buildings are on the monuments list, which need to be expertly addressed during restoration and repurposing," said Newton. He also criticized the fact that the University of Curaçao (UoC) scrapped the 'Education in Heritage' course several years ago, leading to a significant reduction in knowledge-building in this area.
Newton's call to action was clear: "Hereby, a call to all heritage professionals and organizations to work together on such restoration criteria and guidelines so that people in the field - but also others working with monuments - have better guidance." He pointed to the successes of his former colleague Rhuendley Janzen, who became a prominent heritage professional on the island after his education at the UoC, as an example of the potential of good heritage education.
Newton concluded his speech with a look ahead: "Lets hope it will be reality in the near future." The Fundashon Pro Monumento, which also supports Newton's vision, emphasizes the urgency of this issue. The absence of the Minister of VVRP, responsible for built heritage, during the ceremony was considered striking by many.