page_title: Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre
section_title: Materials
hierarchical_section_title: Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre / Description / Materials
caption_attribution_description: فارسی: مرکز فرهنگی ژان ماری تجیبائو English: Case under construction at the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre
context_page_description: The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, on the narrow Tinu Peninsula, approximately 8 kilometres 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 some Kanaks from French 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 had 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 long on the top of the ridge, contains ten large conical cases or pavilions patterned on the traditional Kanak Grand Hut design. The building is surrounded by landscaping, which is also inspired by traditional Kanak design elements.
context_section_description: The materials used in the building of the conical domes consisted of laminated wood and natural wood, concrete, coral, aluminium 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); it was decided to use iroko because it was durable, and mostly resistant to attack by insects, fungi and mould. The frames of all cases were pre-fabricated in France and assembled on-site.
caption: A case under construction
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