Businessman Adriaan Laclé was the owner of this monumental townhouse on Steenweg, in the former merchant quarter between Wilhelminastraat and Nassaustraat, now Caya G.F. Betico Croes.

Adriaan Amadeo Laclé had it built in 1916 as a townhouse, in the middle  of  this commercial quarter of the city. The inspiration for the impressive front entrance clearly came from the 1888 Public School building on Wilhelminastraat 6, featuring classic elements, like the triangular pediment, the columns and the cornice. The radiating skylights are filled with colorful panes of glass.

In the back, on Van Walbeeckstraat, there is another building linked to the one on Steenweg, supposedly built by architect Dada Picus. It has a different architecture.

In 1960, the family rented the residential house in the front to the Aruba Social Insurance bank, the SVB, and continued living in the house in the back. Local people from those days simply refer to the house as ex-SVB.

The house was sold in 1978 and is in a bad state. Rooms are rented individually or simply occupied by homeless people . . .

This classic dwelling deserves to be restored to the gem it once was . . .