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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Institute of Higher Education is a historical monument in Cayenne, Guyana, built in the late 19th century. This building is distinguished by its wooden carrying structure, with a brick filling on the lower floors and boards on the second floor. The raised ground floor rests on a stone and brick floor, while two masonry pavilions frame the building. Originally, its gallery on the first floor was closed by walls made of fixed wooden blades.

In the 20th century, the building housed the services of the Bridges and Chaussées (D.D.E.) before being abandoned. In 1985, the Department of French Guiana began its rehabilitation in order to establish in 1986 the Institut d'Études Supérieures de la Guiana, the first university in the department. Following the transfer of the university in 1991, the site hosted the Human Resources Directorate of the General Council. The monument has been included in the inventory of Historic Monuments since December 9, 1992, with protection covering its roofs, facades and pavilions.

The official address recorded in the Mérimée base is 9 rue Gonrand-Damas, although approximate GPS coordinates are also located at 18 bis avenue du Général de Gaulle. Owned by the department, the building illustrates colonial architecture adapted to the Guyanese climate, combining local materials and sustainable construction techniques. Its history reflects the educational and administrative developments of Guyana in the 19th and 20th centuries.

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