Architecture of Trinidad & Tobago

Port-of-Spain

The architecture of Trinidad & Tobago is severely limited as no true buildings exist from the pre-Columbian times. Even the first settlers left little behind as most early architecture was made from wood or other local resources that have been lost to time. Today nearly every architectural piece of note is in the capital of Port of Spain.

Of the earliest still standing monuments in the country is Fort Picton (1798), which was a British fort in the Laventille District of the capital. Moving into the 1800s there are a few buildings still standing, including the Masonic Lodge (1804) and Hayes Court. In the late 1800s the blue limestone President's House was built and remains a city landmark in Port of Spain to this day.

The true building boom began in the 1900s in Port of Spain and one of the finest buildings of this time was the Queen's Royal College, which combines German and Caribbean influences. Other buildings of note built during this time include the French-inspired Mille Fleurs building, the French Ambard's House (or Roomor), the Romanesque-styled Roman Catholic Archbishop's House, and the White Hall in the Moorish style among others.

Also during 1900s a large number of houses were built in a style unique to the islands and often are referred to as "gingerbread houses." Many of these are still standing today and some of the best preserved at on Piccadilly Street in Port of Spain.

Although modern building materials and techniques have been brought to Trinidad & Tobago, the island has built a huge number of high rises, but has instead focused on buildings like those constructed in the early 1900s. Despite this, more and more modern and post-modern buildings are being erected in the capital city of Port of Spain and today the city boasts a limited, but modern skyline.

This page was last updated: May, 2014