The Presidential Palace of Suriname (Dutch: Presidentieel paleis van de Republiek Suriname) is the presidential palace of
Suriname
Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the nor ...
in the capital of
Paramaribo
Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's po ...
.
It is located across from The Independence Square (
Onafhankelijkheidsplein
The Onafhankelijkheidsplein (, Independence Square) is a town square in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. The square is situated in the historical inner city, near the Suriname River and the Presidential Palace of Suriname.
Before the independ ...
), which also houses the National Assembly of Suriname, the Congress building, the Court of Justice, and the Ministry of Finance. It is one of the most prolific and best maintained examples of Dutch colonial architecture in Suriname and is part of the UNESCO world Heritage site of the Paramaribo inner-city. The
Garden of Palms
Garden of Palms or Palmgardens (Dutch: ''Palmentuin'') is a palm tree landscape garden in Paramaribo, Suriname. In addition to tall royal palms, the grounds are home to tropical birds and a "troop" of capuchin monkeys.Charel Emilius Hendrik de Cheusses led an expansion project of the already existing governor's palace. Before the major renovation of 1780 commissioned by Governor-General Bernard Texier, the palace underwent multiple changes, but was slowly falling into disrepair. When Texier took office, he decided to take up residence at the Gravenstraat 6. A grand gallery was added along with a third floor. But it wasn't until 1911 that the palace was expanded to its current size, with the addition of the
portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cul ...
and terrace. A decade later saw the completion of the one story west wing. The building received many ornamental additions, such as the arched beams of the balcony and the shield of the "Geoctrooieerde Sociëteit van Suriname" placed on the third story. The garden at the back was also redeveloped and extended towards The Palmentuin.
Current Use
Although officially still the official residence of the head of state of Suriname, the
President of Suriname
The president of the Republic of Suriname ( nl, President van de Republiek Suriname) is, in accordance with the Constitution of 1987, the head of state and head of government of Suriname, and commander-in-chief of the Suriname National Army ( ...
, the palace is currently used as a venue for government and diplomatic events. It is the symbol of the Surinamese independence of 1975, and has since been known more commonly as "Het Presidentieel Paleis".