Totally inspired by the culture and building traditions of the country, the Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre is one of the most unusual works created by Renzo Piano, because it incarnates the spirit of the Kanaki, the people of New Caledonia where this large and fascinating complex has been built.The idea came into being in the early 1990’s, after the assassination of Jean-Marie Tjibaou, leader of the country’s independence movement,a french colony since 1864.After this tragic event Mitterand decided that a centre to preserve the local culture, almost destroyed at the beginning of the century by the colonists, should be built.The international invited competition,won by Renzo Piano.Curved shell-like structures,ten in all,made from slats of wood,are arranged around a covered atrium,just like a traditional village. The site,chosen together with the kanaki (which literally means "men") is a peninsula jutting out into the ocean,rich in vegetation and directly in contact with nature.
