A cultural centre with a difference

Construction

On the peninsula of Tina in Noumea, New Caledonia, a magnificent tribute to the Kanak cul tural heritage has been built.

The Centre culturel Tjibaou, opening this month, has been named in recognition of the Kanak leader, Jean-Marie Tjibaou, for his contribution to cultural develop ment. Construction, on its 8-hectare site, began in March 1995. Since the beginning of the project, designer Renzo Piano was sensitive to the need to integrate the build ings with the natural environment of the Bay of Tina site.

“The space between nature and the building should be intimate because they sweat the same odours, breath the same breeze, and form together a sole and uni

fied space, semi-built, but never quite fin ished,” he said. He drew from the design of traditional houses the shape of the interior skeleton of the buildings.

The ten cases (pavilions), which combine futuristic techniques with tradi tional materials, form three villages consti tuting the main building of the cultural cen tre. Each case has an average area of 90 square metres, with the highest reaching 28 metres.

They are connected by a spine, evoking the central alley specific to traditional Kanak houses. Piano won the project to design the cultural centre after an interna tional competition was launched in 1991.

His project was selected by both the then President of the Republic of France Mr Francois Mitterrand, and the President of

the Agence de Developpement de la Culture Kanak (ADCK), Madam Marie- Claude Tjibaou - widow of the influential Kanak leader.

The centre, which is on the site where the notable festival, Melanesia 2000 was held in 1975, aims to recognise Kanak cul ture as fundamental to New Caledonia.

According to an information kit provided by the ADCK “the cultural centre will be a centre of development, creation and diffu sion of traditional and contemporary Kanak culture”.

“It will also be the principal place for the coming together of all cultures present in New Caledonia, and a key point in the network of cultural exchange flowing between this country (New Caledonia) and the rest of the Pacific region”. ■

The Centre culturel Tjibaou on Tina Peninsula.