In 2017, Hurricane Irma severely impacted Sint Maarten. While the modernist library building withstood the storm, SIMARC (Sint Maarten Archaeological Center) lost its home, and the Sint Maarten Museum urgently required a safer location with expanded facilities.
A taskforce was formed to unite the three institutions and implement a shared archiving system. The vision proposed the demolition of the remaining library structure and the realization of a new iconic cultural landmark—bringing together knowledge and heritage institutions to enhance the visitor experience while offering a more efficient, cost-effective solution.
2018, former library at project location
DAM Caribbean won the architectural competition with the highest overall evaluation score. The winning concept was founded on principles of spatial flow and movement, designed to accommodate diverse user groups, including cruise ship tourists arriving by bus and visiting students.
The architectural language deliberately avoids traditional typologies or historical imitation. Instead, it seeks to reinterpret Caribbean spatial qualities through a seamless integration of interior and exterior spaces, emphasizing openness, climate responsiveness, and experiential continuity. The overall composition is defined by a series of cylindrical volumes, establishing a recognizable architectural identity while dynamically engaging with daylight and shadow.
The museum was conceived with a spiraling floor plan, drawing conceptual parallels to the Guggenheim Museum in New York, facilitating a continuous narrative exhibition route. The library adopted a spatial strategy inspired by Stockholm’s library.
The area is reclaimed land and can be subject to flooding during storm season; therefore, the entire complex is elevated on a raised deck, allowing parking and service functions beneath the main public spaces.
The SIMARC facility was designed as a bunker-like, climate-controlled volume, ensuring the secure preservation and archiving of archaeological artifacts, with direct connections to the auditorium
