The
Twin Towers
Eric Williams Financial
Complex or Eric Williams Plaza, infamously known as “the Twin Towers” are two
similar tall towers that are immediately noticed on entrance into the city of
Port-of-Spain. They are located on the Brian Lara Promenade, Independence
Square and was the tallest buildings in Trinidad and Tobago in 1986 until the
Nicholas Tower was built. The towers were designed by architect Anthony C.
Lewis Partnership and were named after Trinidad and Tobago’s first Prime
Minister Dr. Eric Williams. Each tower has its own official name and specific
use and is 22 stories high. The Central bank of Trinidad and Tobago resides in
the first tower namely “Eric Williams Financial Tower” and the Ministry of
Finance is located in the second tower namely “The Central Bank Tower.” I know,
confusing right? However, from all our research done on the Twin Towers, that’s
what the towers are named and used for. However, we accept that we can be wrong
since it is most likely that the Central Bank would be located in the Central
Bank Tower. The old Central Bank building however is located around the towers.
At the south-east end of the
Central Bank Tower, exists an auditorium that has been utilized for many
national cultural shows.
The building type itself
is described as a “high rise building’, it has a pile foundation, the building
is made out of steel concrete and has a curtain walled façade. The
architectural style which now is different from all the other styles seen on
our blog already is referred to as Modernism. These two buildings are equipped
with communication, security and life-safety systems. As well as, what we
haven’t posted before on our other buildings, the Twin Towers have been
designed to withstand earthquakes which are very important since Trinidad and
Tobago is prone to earthquakes. Cross braces designed to withstand 15% of the
earthquake impact and core walls designed to withstand the other 85% of the
earthquake impacts were both applied to the Twin Towers. The basement under the
towers is 25’ thick, a cellular raft pile cap made out of 9’×6’ beams and 18”
slabs exists under both towers and in their basements, their water reservoirs
are located.
Post-Independence, the government sought to change the
urban skyline of Port-of-Spain in order to resemble a First World skyline. The
oil industry allowed for the petro dollar influx in the national economy during
the oil boom in the 1970s. That resulted in the ability of the State to fund
the construction of numerous government buildings, of sizes varying from four
stories to twenty-two. The heights of buildings were determined by the
functional necessity and more so by the affordability of its latest in
materials and construction techniques.
These structures, the ‘Twin Towers’, are
the true symbols of our freedom from colonialism. These buildings represent our
identity as the financial capital of the Caribbean. Initially, during the
colonial era, these buildings were once the Old Treasury but now it is the
majestic financial seat of this nation. The modern style of these towers reveal
the constant desire in our culture to progress, to advance and to be at our
best. The mere reasoning behind the construction was to change the urban
landscape, to resemble less of the colonial city and more of a Trinidadian and
Tobagonian modern city. These structures represent the switch from colonial to
post-modern architecture. From elaborate designs to simple yet equally
awe-inspiring. The sheer presence of these towers introduced a new aspect of
our culture, NATIONALISM. A new pride and respect for the city arose when the
structures were established, no longer were the colonial buildings the defining
structures of the urban skyline, but rather the TWIN TOWERS. As the buildings grew, so did the city.
These Twin Towers are associated with the service sector
which is significant for a Post-Industrial city. Currently, Port-Of-Spain is
not only the capital city of Trinidad and Tobago but also the financial
capital. The Central Business District (CBD) on the city consists of most of
the government buildings.The location of the twin
towers signify the CBD of Port-of-Spain. The Griffin-Ford Model states that the
CBD is representative for employment, entertainment and economic activity.
Since the twin towers house the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago as well as
the Ministry of Finance, that area is most certainly the CBD. The Twin Towers
are the symbols for the CBD, the mere height of these structures show the power
which the CBD has in a city.
The Twin Towers have been described as the one of the top spots to visit
in Trinidad and Tobago under TripAdvisor’s website.
References:
Central
Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. “Auditorium.” Accessed April 6, 2016. http://www.central-bank.org.tt/content/auditorium
Emporis.
“Eric Williams Finance Building.” Accessed April 6, 2016. http://www.emporis.com/buildings/124680/eric-williams-finance-building-port-of-spain-trinidad-tobago
Ford,
Larry, and Ernest Griffin. “A Model of Latin American City Structure.”
Geographical
Review
70, No. 4 (Oct. 1980).
The
Thinking Insomniac. 2011. “Architecture Sketch – Eric Williams Financial
Complex, Port of Spain, Trinidad. https://thinkinginsomniac.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/architecture-sketch-eric-williams-financial-complex-port-of-spain-trinidad/
UN-HABITAT. 2012. Trinidad
And Tobago: Port of Spain Urban Profile. UN-HABITAT
No comments:
Post a Comment