WILLEMSTAD - Cinelandia is going to be demolished. At least, if it is up to Zita Jesus-Leito. The Minister of Traffic, Transport and Spatial Planning has ordered Trading Company CMOG owned by Fernando Da Costa-Gomez to completely demolish the Cinelandia building within a month.

According to the minister, the former cinema presents a danger of collapse for the immediate vicinity. “From a structural point of view, restoration would no longer be possible and also not efficient,” said the minister in her letter to owner Fernando Da Costa-Gomez.

Open-air

Built in 1941, Cinelandia was an open-air movie theater that could seat 2,200 visitors. At the time, it was the largest cinema in the region.

The Cinelandia building is one of the most important monuments in Curaçao. In Punda it certainly belongs to the top five of the most important monuments.

Cinelandia is also the only Art Deco building of its kind in Willemstad and on the island. Due to its architectural-historical, cultural-historical, folk-historical, and monumental values, it is a building that is unique and an indispensable part of the city center.

Promo

Eugene Rhuggenaath's government has wanted to demolish the building for some time, but was in consultation with the Pro Monumento foundation (Promo), among others. According to the foundation, the demolition of Cinelandia cannot be justified in the given circumstances within the existing regulations.

Promo did want to contribute to a construction in which a demolition permit could be granted under the condition of reconstruction of the monumental part of Cinelandia.

The facade of the building would be restored to its original state. That advice was also given to the minister by the interim director of the ROP (public works) executive organization on 11 July.

Facade

Promo made extensive suggestions in 2019 for preserving Cinelandia, but according to the foundation, the minister never responded. Her intention to demolish it now comes like a bolt from the blue for the monument organization.

Previous discussions with stakeholders concerned the Minister's intention to issue the demolition permit, while there is now talk of a summons to proceed with demolition.

Jesus-Leito's letter of summons does not mention the conditions for partial restoration of the facade after demolition.