The pillars of
Sidewalk Café and Restaurant ‘t VAT
Written by Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi
My husband Jan van Charante studied in Amsterdam for years. After his studies, when he was back in Suriname, he was missing the so-called ‘Brown Cafes’ of the metropole. In 1980 he was preparing to set up his own café. As a medical doctor he was also convinced that people always had to eat while drinking, especially on the social drinking Saturday afternoons, which were popular at that time. He met Gerard Roemer who had just remigrated from the Netherlands, and they decided to become partners in the Sidewalk Café Restaurant ‘t VAT. This café became a reality in 1981 and was located on the ground floor of an uplifted Combé colonial house, which had been Jan’s former family home. The Café became a popular place immediately, with Jan van Charante in the kitchen and Gerard Roemer in the bar. Marcia Roemer, Gerard’s wife and I, Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi were also in charge, but as usual in those days, as women, we were only working hard behind the limelight.
Through the years, ‘t VAT developed from a small local café into an international well-known place to be in Paramaribo, Suriname. After about twenty years, both sons of Gerard and Marcia Roemer came back to Suriname from the Netherlands. Today Vincent Roemer is in charge of the operations of ‘t VAT and Robbin Roemer is managing Europcar, a full subsidiary of ‘t VAT. Jean-Luc van Charante, the son of Jan and Kit-Ling van Charante – Tjon Pian Gi, is an Internet Marketing and Social Media expert in Suriname, and only shows interest in ‘t VAT from the side of his expertise.
Suriname is part of the Amazon Rainforest and has the characteristic tropical rainy climate. Located at an old open-air bus station, the terrace of ‘t VAT was also open-air with only parasols as shelter. Due to the rainy climate, a permanent removable shelter arose. This shelter was a tent, like the ones that people in Suriname always used to build in the old days, when there was a wedding or another big party. A frame of metal poles and zinc roofing. For years my husband Jan wanted to change this look. Holiday after holiday, abroad in several different countries, all possible roofing options were inspected. In 2012, I advised to ask Sergio Fung Loy to make a design.
In 2009 at the opening of my solo exhibition ‘The Strength of Women’, Stanley Sidoel, Director (Permanent Secretary) of Culture at that time, told me: “I want you to go to Barbados. There will be a meeting concerning the participation of the Caribbean in the World Expo in Shanghai 2010.” As secretary of FVAS, the Federation of Visual Artists in Suriname, I had gained experience in writing and organizing projects in the field of Visual Art. The expectation was that visual art would be leading in the participation of Suriname in this World Expo. Attending the meeting in Barbados, I concluded that visual art could have an important role in the design, but an architect was needed. Sergio Fung Loy, son of former chairman and fellow charter member of FVAS, Glenn Fung Loy, had just graduated with distinction from the Anton de Kom University in Suriname. We asked Sergio to join our team as an architect, to design the Suriname Booth for the World Expo Shanghai 2020.
In 2012, inspired by the fabulous lighting designs of buildings at the World Expo, Sergio presented for ‘t VAT, a concept of open crafted pillars with colored led lightning inside. However, he used some Internet graphics on the pillars. I then decided to do the graphics for the pillars.
Together with the team of SIB Signs & Designs, Sergio and I discussed the possibilities how to make these open crafted pillars. SIB Signs & Designs had the technology to make the open crafted pillars out of heavy metal. I then made eighty drawings of 35 x 50 cm, based on the biodiversity of Suriname with all different flora and fauna.
Some years later, when ‘t VAT was renovating the bar inside, the drawings were used again in the design of the new bar.
