Fiji Vale Ni Yaya Maroroi

Abstract

RESEARCH QUESTION: How can indigenous design principles drive the design of a Fijian museum that allows the younger generation to reconnect to their cultural heritage? Breaking down the research question into sub-categories: - Researching into Fijian material culture. - An exploration of Fijian design principles, architecture and Fijian built environments. - Practical design application

ABSTRACT: As time progresses and globalisation takes hold, cultural heritage knowledge slowly fades away from memory. The memory of where we came from, our stories, arts and crafts, religious beliefs, traditions, and the way we built our architecture. Those elements of traditions that created our identity are slowly fading. The deeper purpose for this research project is to reconnect us and future generations with our culture on a metaphorical, physical and spiritual existence. For this research project, a museum as an architectural typology can be used as a platform to recreate that lost connection with our cultural heritage. As a worldwide solution, a museum’s role is to collect and preserve culturally significant objects, ranging from religious artefacts, historical artefacts and tools to clothes, and in particular antiquities. This project seeks to go beyond the traditional role of a museum to be a place where visitors get to immerse themselves in Fiji’s living culture.

Site: Thurston Gardens (Suva, Fiji)