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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The port of Pointe-à-Pitre, at the entrance of the Darse, was built in 1930 by architect Ali Tur, a major figure in the Guadeloupe reconstruction after Hurricane Okeechobee of 1928. This project was part of a colonial policy aimed at reviving the local economy, including the economic capital of the island. The building, in modern style with its flat corbelled roofs and its campanile-clock, embodied a functional architecture adapted to the port needs of the time.

Between 1930 and 1934, the captaincy was rebuilt to replace the infrastructure destroyed by the hurricane. It became a symbol of the development of the port complex Guadeloupe-Port-Caribbean in the 1970s, before being gradually abandoned to new sites. Unoccupied for decades, it was finally protected in 2013 for its facades, roofs and entry elements, thus preserving an architectural heritage linked to the maritime and colonial history of Guadeloupe.

Architecturally, the building is distinguished by its square plan organized around a stairwell, with three gradient levels and a gallery open to the south. The inscription "PORT", framed by a clock and anchor, underlines its first vocation. Although modified over time, the floor has retained some of its original provisions, reflecting its past use as a dwelling and administrative office. Today, the captain's office remains the last vestige of a whole including customs and the tourist office.

The protection of 2013 saved a building representative of reinforced concrete and constructive innovations of the 1930s in Guadeloupe. Its inscription in historical monuments recognizes its role in the port and urban history of Pointe-à-Pitre, as well as its link with architect Ali Tur, author of many public buildings on the island. The site, although not open to the public, is an identity marker for the Guatemalans.

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