Projects Social Improvement
2 min.
After years of preparations and discussions, the die on the construction of the new Gwendoline van Putten school in Oranjestad, St. Eustatius, has finally been cast. On June 15th of this year, contracts were signed between the Public Entity St. Eustatius, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschappen of OCW) and contractor Statia Construction to start work on the project. The new structure will serve as a replacement of the school’s current buildings, in which it has been housed since 1988 and which are no longer deemed sufficient in terms of practical and structural requirements.
Central to Statia’s educational system
The GVP school project is not just any project for the island, because it concerns the only secondary and vocational school in Statia. It is the only institution on the island offering PrO, VMBO, HAVO and MBO courses, making it a crucial cog in the small local economy. This is also a major reason behind the central Ministry’s backing for the project. Construction of the new facilities is planned to begin in August of this year and is expected to take at least two years. As mentioned before, Statia Construction won the project’s tender process and will be bringing it to life, while Rotterdam-based architecture firm MAS Architectuur was in charge of designing the building.
The U-shaped main building consists of two stories with a total surface of about 4,000 m² and will be located on the Korthalsweg in the center of Statia’s capital, Oranjestad, next to the STUCO (Statia Utility Company) office. As MAS Architectuur mentions on its own website, the location will also be used for the construction of several more public structures, including the future townhall and a new hospital. Together with both the theory and practice rooms for the school’s students, these services will be situated around a large common inner area, creating a kind of cross-over hub between education and other public services.
The total costs of the new school building have not been disclosed yet, but more information about the project is expected to be released over the coming weeks as the start of construction draws closer.
The basis for this article was originally published on www.statiagovernment.com and others in 2022.
