02 · GALLERY
Five frames.
The Centre Culturel Tjibaou opened in 1998 on the Tinu peninsula above Nouméa lagoon. Renzo Piano designed it in homage to Jean-Marie Tjibaou, the Kanak independence leader assassinated in 1989. Ten timber-and-steel huts up to 28 metres tall rise from the peninsula like upturned Kanak ceremonial structures. The huts are functional: studios for music, dance, painting, and an open-air amphitheatre overlooking the lagoon. The structure is tuned by the South Pacific trade winds; the curved wood-slat walls catch and release the breeze in audible patterns. Use Kanak people, Kanaky.
The path from the visitor centre to the huts crosses reconstructed indigenous gardens. Walk it slowly before any performance, an hour before doors.
The single most-considered piece of architecture about indigenous music in the Pacific.
Programmed events year-round; the Festival des Arts du Pacifique (Pacific Arts Festival) every four years is the headline international event. The Kanak Yam Festival in March features traditional programming.
Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 to 17:00. Closed Mondays. Performances irregular, check adck.nc.
Drive 7 km north-east of central Nouméa to the Tinu peninsula. Local bus 40 from central Nouméa, 20 minutes. From La Tontouta airport, 45 minutes by taxi.