Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre
Encyclopedia
The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, on the narrow Tinu Peninsula, approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) northeast of the historic centre of Nouméa
, the capital of New Caledonia
, celebrates the vernacular Kanak culture, the indigenous culture of New Caledonia, amidst much political controversy over the independent status sought by the Kanaks from French colonial rule. It opened in June 1998 and was designed by Italian
architect Renzo Piano
and named after Jean-Marie Tjibaou
, the leader of the independence movement who was assassinated in 1989 and who had a vision of establishing a cultural centre which blended the linguistic and artistic heritage of the Kanak people.
The Kanak building traditions and the resources of modern international architecture were blended by Piano. The formal curved axial layout, 250 metres (820.2 ft) long on the top of the ridge, contains ten large conical cases or pavilions (all of different dimensions) patterned on the traditional Kanak Grand Hut design. The building is surrounded by landscaping which is also inspired by traditional Kanak design elements. Marie Claude Tjibaou, widow of Jean Marie Tjibaou and current leader of the Agency for the Development of Kanak Culture
(ADCK), observed: "We, the Kanaks, see it as a culmination of a long struggle for the recognition of our identity; on the French Government’s part it is a powerful gesture of restitution."
, approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) northeast of the old city centre of Nouméa. Though the agency (ADCK) wished to set up the centre in the heart of the city to make a statement within the strongly French
-influenced city, the land allotted is between the lagoon and the bay, which is an off shoot of the sea. The lagoon side of this area is made up of dense mangroves at the water edge. Earlier, other types of trees also covered the site. There was a well-trodden path along the centre of the area of the peninsula. A ridge separated the area from the sea, which created the ecology of the area with the bay side experiencing strong easterly winds. Intense heat of subtropical sun was also another factor which had an impact on the design of the building.
Another aspect of the Kanak's building tradition was that it did not fit in with the concept of a permanent building. They lived in temporary type of buildings made with locally available material which needed to be replaced from time to time in the subtropical climate. This involved a wood frame building built on earthen plinths and with roof covered by thatch. The form of the building also varied from island to island, generally round in plan and conical in the vertical elevation. They made the houses in groups with the headman’s house at the end of an open public alley formed by other buildings clustered along on both sides. Trees lined these alleys with a shady central gathering. This theme was adopted in the Cultural Centre planned by Pinao and his associates.
An important concept that evolved after deliberations in the 'Building Workshops', after Pinao won the competition for building the art centre, also involved "landscaping ideas" to be created around each building. To this end, an "interpretative landscape path" was conceived and implemented around each building with series of vegetative cover avenues along the path that surrounded the building, but separated it from the lagoon. This landscape setting appealed to the Kanak people when the centre was inaugurated. Even the approach to the buildings from the paths catered to the local practices of walking for three quarters of the path to get to the entrance to the Cases. One critic of the building observed: "It was a very intelligent to use the landscape to introduce the building. This is the way the Kanak people
can understand".
) with a setting of great natural beauty. The arrangement consists of 10 units called "cases," or hut pavilions, arranged in three groups or village clusters with one tall hut (the largest is 28 metres high) in each cluster representing the traditional "Great Hut" of the Kanak Chiefs. The main axis of the Cultural Centre (somewhat off the cardinal axis) consists of many covered walkways, green spaces, outdoor rooms, and gardens that are interlinked with the pavilions or cases and also with the smaller office buildings. The arrangement of the structures around the main axis has a symbolic content for the Kanaks. All the huts are of different sizes and different functions, but with the consistent form of vertically positioned shell-like structures which resemble the traditional huts of a Caledonian Village. They are arranged in a row sequentially along a lower rectangular path that follows the gentle curve of the peninsula. It forms a unique cultural ensemble at the Cultural Centre of arts built with wood technology using long-lasting iroko wood. The overall effect is that it "looks like a unified homogenous whole". A laminated wood construction blends with engineering architecture and is suitable for everyday use. The cultural centre has thus been described as "perfected masterpiece and a deeply impressive, earth-bound example of a new interpretation of modernism". The layout takes note of the prevailing easterly wind directions from the sea and the structures as a whole are built to take full advantage of the wind and also oriented to control sunlight and solar heat gain. The curved outer face of the huts is in direct contact with the windward side of the stormy Pacific Sea whereas the leeward side is oriented towards the serene lagoon. The sunlight engulfs the structure and casts a continually changing pattern of shadows through the louvers and members of the staves of the cases.
Another aspect of the layout is about the design of the paths connecting the cases and providing approach to them. They are covered so that visitors can walk in the area with comfort, as the average temperature in the area is 20 °C (68 °F) to 23 °C (73.4 °F) from April to August and 25 °C (77 °F) to 27 °C (80.6 °F) from September to March. The main sides of the paths are not covered with walls, as it would prevent air circulation and make the corridors intolerable. However, where the paths are open to direct light, louvers have been installed.
The landscape layout of the cases are set amidst transplanted Norfolk Island
pines
, which are as tall as the cases. Smaller trees are also planted in the areas near the lower offices. This layout presents a "planted indigenous landscape". A Melanesia
n food garden with taro
and yam
are also grown. Paths to the Great House are planted with Araucaria columnaris
or column pine and coconut trees.
castings, glass panels, tree bark and stainless steel
. The iroko (Clorophora excelsa) timber used extensively was imported from Africa
(native to tropical Africa, from Sierra Leone
to Tanzania
); its use was decided as it was considered durable, and mostly resistant to attack of insects, fungi and mould. The frames of all cases were pre-fabricated in France
and assembled on-site.
s, called nacos. The nacos open and close in tandem automatically by computer control calibrated to the speed of the wind. The double roof system also allows air to pass through the roof unchecked. During the monsoon season, the winds that blow over the cases are very strong, the compound curve of the cases resists the wind, with the nacos facilitating this action further by allowing air to pass directly through the cases.
Notable exhibition halls in the sail-like structures of the cases include Case Bwenaado, Case Jinu, Case Mâlep, Case Umatë and Salle Bérétara. The Case Bwenaado or pavilion, a customary assembly place, houses the artifacts created by artists of the region. They symbolize the link among ethnic groups of the Pacific in respect of the traditions of their oral beliefs and rituals that govern their life. A new collection in this case received in May 2008, on loan from the Musée du Quai Branly, features 16 Kanak items dating from the late 18th century to early 20th century. These are in the form of historical pieces of Kanak sculpture and implements representing a rich Kanak heritage, though they are taken on a loan basis from other museums. The Case Jinu or pavilion has six exhibits that are titled "The spirit of Oceania" which depict the origin of the world, people and the their habitats from across the Pacific. The Case Mâlep has exhibits depicting the life and work of Jean-Marie Tjibaou, charismatic leader of the independent movement who initiated action to set up the Kanak cultural centre.
Exhibitions are rotated throughout the year, and temporary exhibitions are also part of the complex. The centre also has two workshops of artists. They have been given a deliberate "unfinished" appearance as a reminder that Kanak culture is still in the process of evolution – a belief held by the deceased Canaque leader, who was the inspiration for the site. The complex includes the Department of Visual Arts and Exhibitions which is intended to promote the creation of plastic contemporary Kanak art. The Fund for Contemporary Kanak and Oceanian Art (Le Fonds d'Art Contemporain Kanak et Océanien) was created in 1995, and consists of over 600 contemporary works from Australia
and the Pacific Islands
including New Caledonia.
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, the capital of New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, celebrates the vernacular Kanak culture, the indigenous culture of New Caledonia, amidst much political controversy over the independent status sought by the Kanaks from French colonial rule. It opened in June 1998 and was designed by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
architect Renzo Piano
Renzo Piano
Renzo Piano is an Italian architect. He is the recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, AIA Gold Medal, Kyoto Prize and the Sonning Prize...
and named after Jean-Marie Tjibaou
Jean-Marie Tjibaou
Jean-Marie Tjibaou was a leader of the Kanak independence movement and a politician in New Caledonia. The son of a tribal chief, Tjibaou was ordained a priest but abandoned his religious vocation for a life in political activism...
, the leader of the independence movement who was assassinated in 1989 and who had a vision of establishing a cultural centre which blended the linguistic and artistic heritage of the Kanak people.
The Kanak building traditions and the resources of modern international architecture were blended by Piano. The formal curved axial layout, 250 metres (820.2 ft) long on the top of the ridge, contains ten large conical cases or pavilions (all of different dimensions) patterned on the traditional Kanak Grand Hut design. The building is surrounded by landscaping which is also inspired by traditional Kanak design elements. Marie Claude Tjibaou, widow of Jean Marie Tjibaou and current leader of the Agency for the Development of Kanak Culture
Agency for the Development of Kanak Culture
The Agency for the Development of Kanak Culture is an administrative agency, established in 1989, to preserve and promote Kanak and Pacific Islands culture, art and heritage. It was formed on the first anniversary of the signature Matignon-Oudinot Ageement's to recognise and promote the values of...
(ADCK), observed: "We, the Kanaks, see it as a culmination of a long struggle for the recognition of our identity; on the French Government’s part it is a powerful gesture of restitution."
History
When the Matignon agreements were signed between the representatives of France and New Caledonia, Jean-Marie Tjibaou, the Kanak leader of the independent movement, had mooted a proposal to set up an Agency for the development of Kanak Culture with the objective of promoting Kanak linguistic and archaeological heritage, promote Kanak handicrafts and the arts, encourage cross-regional interactions and evolve design and conduct research activities. This plan was implemented after Jean-Marie Tjibaou was assassinated, to assuage local feelings. The French President ordered that a cultural centre on the lines suggested by Tjibaou be set up in Nouméa. The "Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre", which identifies Kanak culture and identity, was formally established in May 1998. However, based on a competition for designing the centre dated to 1991, the work was assigned to Renzo Piano and it was constructed between 1993 and 1998. The inaugural cultural director was Emmanual Kaserhou and the museum curator Susan Cochrane. The project was quite controversial because of its luxurious and monumental nature.Geography
The site is located on the narrow Tina Peninsula, which projects into the Pacific Ocean along a ridge line, near Tina Golf on the western coast of Boulari BayBoulari Bay
Boulari Bay or Baie de Boulari is a bay in southwestern New Caledonia. It forms the stretch of water to the east of Noumea....
, approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) northeast of the old city centre of Nouméa. Though the agency (ADCK) wished to set up the centre in the heart of the city to make a statement within the strongly French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
-influenced city, the land allotted is between the lagoon and the bay, which is an off shoot of the sea. The lagoon side of this area is made up of dense mangroves at the water edge. Earlier, other types of trees also covered the site. There was a well-trodden path along the centre of the area of the peninsula. A ridge separated the area from the sea, which created the ecology of the area with the bay side experiencing strong easterly winds. Intense heat of subtropical sun was also another factor which had an impact on the design of the building.
Concept planning
The building plans, spread over an area of 8550 square metres (10,225.7 sq yd) of the museum, were conceived to incorporate the link between the landscape and the built structures in the Kanak traditions. The people had been removed from their natural landscape and habitat of mountains and valleys and any plan proposed for the art centre had to reflect this aspect. Thus, the planning aimed at a unique building which would be, as the architect Pinao clearly stated in his own words as "to create a symbol" ..."a cultural centre devoted to Kanak civilization, the place that would represent them to foreigners that would pass on their memory to their grand children". The model as finally built evolved after much debate in organized 'Building Workshops' in which Piano’s associate Paul Vincent and Alban Bensa, an anthropologist of repute on Kanak culture were also involved. The precursor for this cultural centre was the first cultural festival held in 1975 in New Caledonia, which was a focused celebration of Kanak culture. The Melanasia 2000 Festival was also held at the same venue where the centre has been established now. The centre is also termed as "A politicized symbolic project", which evolved over long period of research and intense debate.Another aspect of the Kanak's building tradition was that it did not fit in with the concept of a permanent building. They lived in temporary type of buildings made with locally available material which needed to be replaced from time to time in the subtropical climate. This involved a wood frame building built on earthen plinths and with roof covered by thatch. The form of the building also varied from island to island, generally round in plan and conical in the vertical elevation. They made the houses in groups with the headman’s house at the end of an open public alley formed by other buildings clustered along on both sides. Trees lined these alleys with a shady central gathering. This theme was adopted in the Cultural Centre planned by Pinao and his associates.
An important concept that evolved after deliberations in the 'Building Workshops', after Pinao won the competition for building the art centre, also involved "landscaping ideas" to be created around each building. To this end, an "interpretative landscape path" was conceived and implemented around each building with series of vegetative cover avenues along the path that surrounded the building, but separated it from the lagoon. This landscape setting appealed to the Kanak people when the centre was inaugurated. Even the approach to the buildings from the paths catered to the local practices of walking for three quarters of the path to get to the entrance to the Cases. One critic of the building observed: "It was a very intelligent to use the landscape to introduce the building. This is the way the Kanak people
Kanak people
Kanak are the indigenous Melanesian inhabitants of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the southwest Pacific. They constitute 44.1% of the total population of New Caledonia. Though Melanesian settlement is recorded on Grande Terre's Presqu'île de Foué peninsula as far back as the...
can understand".
Description
The architectural uniqueness of the centre is to the credit of Renzo Piano, an Italian architect.Layout
The entire complex has been built along a 250 metres (820.2 ft) long ridge of the peninsula (a cape that extends southeast into the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
) with a setting of great natural beauty. The arrangement consists of 10 units called "cases," or hut pavilions, arranged in three groups or village clusters with one tall hut (the largest is 28 metres high) in each cluster representing the traditional "Great Hut" of the Kanak Chiefs. The main axis of the Cultural Centre (somewhat off the cardinal axis) consists of many covered walkways, green spaces, outdoor rooms, and gardens that are interlinked with the pavilions or cases and also with the smaller office buildings. The arrangement of the structures around the main axis has a symbolic content for the Kanaks. All the huts are of different sizes and different functions, but with the consistent form of vertically positioned shell-like structures which resemble the traditional huts of a Caledonian Village. They are arranged in a row sequentially along a lower rectangular path that follows the gentle curve of the peninsula. It forms a unique cultural ensemble at the Cultural Centre of arts built with wood technology using long-lasting iroko wood. The overall effect is that it "looks like a unified homogenous whole". A laminated wood construction blends with engineering architecture and is suitable for everyday use. The cultural centre has thus been described as "perfected masterpiece and a deeply impressive, earth-bound example of a new interpretation of modernism". The layout takes note of the prevailing easterly wind directions from the sea and the structures as a whole are built to take full advantage of the wind and also oriented to control sunlight and solar heat gain. The curved outer face of the huts is in direct contact with the windward side of the stormy Pacific Sea whereas the leeward side is oriented towards the serene lagoon. The sunlight engulfs the structure and casts a continually changing pattern of shadows through the louvers and members of the staves of the cases.
Another aspect of the layout is about the design of the paths connecting the cases and providing approach to them. They are covered so that visitors can walk in the area with comfort, as the average temperature in the area is 20 °C (68 °F) to 23 °C (73.4 °F) from April to August and 25 °C (77 °F) to 27 °C (80.6 °F) from September to March. The main sides of the paths are not covered with walls, as it would prevent air circulation and make the corridors intolerable. However, where the paths are open to direct light, louvers have been installed.
The landscape layout of the cases are set amidst transplanted Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
pines
Pines
Pines may refer to:*Pine, coniferous trees of the genus Pinus, in the family Pinaceae*PINES or Public Information Network for Electronic Services- People with the surname :...
, which are as tall as the cases. Smaller trees are also planted in the areas near the lower offices. This layout presents a "planted indigenous landscape". A Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
n food garden with taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
and yam
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
are also grown. Paths to the Great House are planted with Araucaria columnaris
Araucaria columnaris
Araucaria columnaris, the Coral reef araucaria, is a unique species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family. It is endemic to New Caledonia in the southwestern Pacific....
or column pine and coconut trees.
Materials
The materials used in the building of the conical domes consisted of laminated wood and natural wood, concrete, coral, aluminiumAluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
castings, glass panels, tree bark and stainless steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
. The iroko (Clorophora excelsa) timber used extensively was imported from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
(native to tropical Africa, from Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
to Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
); its use was decided as it was considered durable, and mostly resistant to attack of insects, fungi and mould. The frames of all cases were pre-fabricated in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and assembled on-site.
Design of the cases
The exterior part of the huts is given an ancient appearance whereas the interior of each hut has rectangular space (for housing permanent and temporary exhibitions, administration offices and studio spaces), where all the amenities are provided with gadgets of modern technology. The space within each hut was achieved by discarding the central pillar, a deviation from the traditional Kanak hut design. In the circular design of the hut’s shells, the height to diameter ratio was reduced giving more space, which also resulted in greater dynamic ventilation, as was corroborated by the wind tunnel tests. The cases have the giant curved ribs or staves, which are made of iroko slats and steel connections and which also act as climate control devices. The outer ribs are a curved assembly of slats, which are joined to a straight vertical rib that together form part of the case structure. The staves are designed in such a way that the individual pieces appear as if they are woven together. The roof is made of corrugated aluminium sheets. It has a double roof system, which has an element in the play of shadows. The bottom of the wall, formed by the arc of the staves, has special louverLouver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
s, called nacos. The nacos open and close in tandem automatically by computer control calibrated to the speed of the wind. The double roof system also allows air to pass through the roof unchecked. During the monsoon season, the winds that blow over the cases are very strong, the compound curve of the cases resists the wind, with the nacos facilitating this action further by allowing air to pass directly through the cases.
Cases
In general, the exhibits in the Cultural Centre are organized in the three villages. In the first village, the emphasis is on exhibition activities. Right at the entrance is the permanent exhibition where visitors are given an insight into the Kanak culture. The cases that follow have displays related to the history of the community and the natural environment. This is followed by areas for temporary exhibitions and a theatre, a sunken auditorium where 400 people can be seated. An open-air theatre is provided behind the auditorium where cultural performances are held. The second village complex is used for the offices for historians, researchers, curators of exhibitions and administrative staff. The cases in front of the offices have a multimedia library and the halls here are used for holding conferences. The village at the end of the path, which is located slightly away from the visitors area and which has studios, are devoted to creative activities such as dance, painting, sculpture, and music. There is also a school for children where they are taught the local art forms.Notable exhibition halls in the sail-like structures of the cases include Case Bwenaado, Case Jinu, Case Mâlep, Case Umatë and Salle Bérétara. The Case Bwenaado or pavilion, a customary assembly place, houses the artifacts created by artists of the region. They symbolize the link among ethnic groups of the Pacific in respect of the traditions of their oral beliefs and rituals that govern their life. A new collection in this case received in May 2008, on loan from the Musée du Quai Branly, features 16 Kanak items dating from the late 18th century to early 20th century. These are in the form of historical pieces of Kanak sculpture and implements representing a rich Kanak heritage, though they are taken on a loan basis from other museums. The Case Jinu or pavilion has six exhibits that are titled "The spirit of Oceania" which depict the origin of the world, people and the their habitats from across the Pacific. The Case Mâlep has exhibits depicting the life and work of Jean-Marie Tjibaou, charismatic leader of the independent movement who initiated action to set up the Kanak cultural centre.
Exhibitions are rotated throughout the year, and temporary exhibitions are also part of the complex. The centre also has two workshops of artists. They have been given a deliberate "unfinished" appearance as a reminder that Kanak culture is still in the process of evolution – a belief held by the deceased Canaque leader, who was the inspiration for the site. The complex includes the Department of Visual Arts and Exhibitions which is intended to promote the creation of plastic contemporary Kanak art. The Fund for Contemporary Kanak and Oceanian Art (Le Fonds d'Art Contemporain Kanak et Océanien) was created in 1995, and consists of over 600 contemporary works from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
including New Caledonia.