Events

13 May 2008

Communique '08: Persistence of the Fale Tonga

Seminar

Charmaine has recently completed her Master of Architecture with First Class Honours. She is currently a tutor in architecture design studio at the University of Auckland. Charmaine's talk ties in with the NICAI postgraduate showcase week. Pacific architecture is often idealised in various indigenous domestic archetypes, such as the fale (Tonga and Samoa), whare (New Zealand), and bure (Fiji) to name a few. This presupposes that indigenous Pacific architecture is developmentally static and possibly a remnant of a life passed. However, in Tonga's case the form and concept of the nineteenth century Fale Tonga continues to persist in contemporary Tongan residential buildings in concepts and some form. Hence, Tongan domestic architecture is not stagnant, but has evolved, as Tongan people respond to social and technological change. This highlights how Tongans have willingly exchanged their customary forms, material and method of construction for western and contemporary approaches. While the resultant western archetypes may not appear Tongan, they are created from indigenous processes, paradigms and principles derived from the nineteenth century Fale Tonga. Assumptions of architectural 'assimilation' and loss of architectural identity are challenged when the ''inasi' methodology creates an understanding of the indigenous Tongan practice of ''inasi'. This proposal is discussed through six case studies of contemporary Fale Tonga: Fale 'ae Palangi; Fale Hafekasi; Fale Puha; Fale Amelika; Fale Tufitufi and Fale Hufanga which verify the persistence of the 'Fale Tonga concepts': va, or relationships; importance of building process; mo'ui lavame'a; and loto ke 'iloa.

Visual Arts and Media

architecture/building design

Organisation:

School of Architecture and Planning, University of Auckland.