More serious deterioration found during Willem III Tower restoration

ORANJESTAD – Restoration work on the Willem III Tower at Fort Zoutman has uncovered more serious deterioration than initially expected in the tower’s exterior ring structure, requiring additional restoration and potentially replacement work.

According to Monumentenbureau representative Raul Gei, the issue was discovered during inspection. The agency is now preparing to request bids for the additional work and incorporate it into the existing restoration project.

Despite the finding, Monumentenbureau says the main restoration remains on schedule and the additional work is not currently expected to cause a significant delay.

The tower’s principal restoration could now be completed between late October and late November 2026, earlier than the original projection of the end of 2026 or early 2027.

The project is being closely monitored to ensure that the work meets the technical and historical standards required for one of Aruba’s most significant monuments.

The Willem III Tower is one of Aruba’s best-known historic landmarks. Its restoration forms part of broader efforts to preserve the island’s cultural heritage, including historic buildings and monuments in San Nicolas, Alto Vista and Brasil.

The discovery also illustrates one of the challenges of restoring historic structures: the full extent of deterioration may only become apparent once detailed inspections and restoration work are underway.