Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre

The Tjibaou Cultural is a in May 1998 opened, built by the French government in New Caledonia building, are offered in the cultural events of the Kanak, as well as other exhibitions, conferences and concerts.

The location

The building is located on the belonging to the main island Grande Terre narrow peninsula in the east of the capital Noumea Tina and is surrounded by a park. On one side of the peninsula there is a lagoon and on the other side of the sea coast. The peninsula is located close to the regional airport of Magenta. The place for the building was chosen because here the Kanak independence fighter Jean -Marie Tjibaou 1975, the cultural festival organized Melanesia 2000.

The building

The 7,650 m² building was built from 1993 to 1998 by the architect Renzo Piano. In collaboration with the anthropologist Alban Bensa a building, reminiscent of the traditional huts of the Kanak arose. On an elongated, flat buildings are ten upright, facing inland, mounted curved, up to 28 m high, often broken shells made ​​of wood strips. The structures divide the building into three units which resemble both a traditional residential huts of the Kanak and a traditional Kanak village.

The building itself, exhibition rooms, a meeting room, an open air theater, a media center and rooms are housed for work and video demonstration.