In the early 2000s, the first development plans were proposed for the expansion of the Sint Maarten Cruise Terminal. A central idea at the time was that cruise passengers were missing a sense of “The Netherlands” upon arrival at the port, alongside neither in the identity of Sint Maarten itself. This notion stems from the island’s history which, unlike nearby Sint Eustatius, it does not include significant historic buildings with architectural ties to the Netherlands, besides Fort Amsterdam.
Several early design proposals envisioned a themed village composed of Dutch-style buildings and windmills, combined with so-called “Parisian” architecture. These concepts, however, risked creating a contrived, theme-park-like experience, one that cruise passengers were not seeking. And, traditional Dutch, or you could say Northwest European, architecture is fundamentally unsuited to the Caribbean climate.
When we were invited to submit a design, we adopted a similar historical point of departure but reinterpreted it critically. Rather than replicating Dutch architecture, we used recognizable Dutch, European, elements as abstract references, developing a contemporary architectural language that acknowledges the island’s colonial past while fully responding to present-day Caribbean conditions.
The proposal consists of two large, warehouse-like structures with flexible, open floor plans. The elevations create a strong interplay of scale, proportion, and rhythm, establishing a powerful visual presence when viewed from docked cruise ships and framing the arrival experience from the sea. The many details play with scale and patterns, reinventing the local ‘’Gingerbread’’ decoration.
The buildings are positioned along what, approximately 400 years ago, marked the maximum shooting range of Fort Amsterdam. At this very location, the Spanish fleet passed safely beyond the fort’s reach before ultimately capturing it. The fort—and the island itself—has since witnessed multiple shifts in colonial control.
The name The Bastions carries deliberate military connotations. Coincidentally, just as the buildings were nearing completion, Hurricane Irma struck Sint Maarten in 2017, devastating much of the island. The Bastions remained structurally intact and served as temporary shelter for the first Dutch Marines arriving after the hurricane, who were stationed there for nearly a week. In this moment, the buildings briefly fulfilled an original, unintended role as a military refuge before being converted into retail spaces.
Today, The Bastions have become part of the recognizable architectural identity of Sint Maarten. Over 10 million cruise passengers have encountered these buildings upon arrival, making them a defining element of the island’s contemporary waterfront.
