The La Bonanza complex:
The La Bonanza complex is located at Breedestraat 33–37 & 41, right next to the Basilica of St. Anne in Otrobanda, Willemstad.
La Bonanza is not a single house, but an ensemble of two attached buildings with two floors and a detached back house, probably the former coach house. Between the buildings is a beautiful, private courtyard garden. Architecturally, the whole clearly exudes the colonial architectural style.
No. 33 has a ridge line perpendicular to the street and has a gable roof with a hipped roof on a rectangular plan. The front façade is characterized by a triangular pediment with profiled moldings and tooth moldings, flanked by fluted corner pilasters.
No. 35–37 has a ridge parallel to the street. This stately building has a gable roof with a dormer window above the core part and sloping roofs above the front and rear galleries. The inside and outside of the gable are curved and date from the 18th century. Also striking are the wooden balcony on the front and side façade and the balcony doors with stained glass windows.
No. 41, located in the backyard, has a gable roof with dormer windows. It probably functioned as a coach house and as accommodation for the staff.
Because parts of the complex, especially no. 35–37, dating from the 18th century, La Bonanza belongs to the older buildings of the Rif area in Otrobanda.
Historical & Cultural Significance:
The preservation of La Bonanza reinforces the historic character of Otrobanda, it adds to the unique charm and identity of the neighborhood, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the rest of Willemstad. The combination of monumental architecture with a contemporary function — restaurant and boutique hotel — shows how heritage and modern use can enrich each other. In this way, La Bonanza is a striking example of living history in the daily city life of Willemstad.
