Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center | renzo piano

Renzo Piano’s JM Tjibaou Cultural Center is located in New Caledonia, an island in the South Pacific about 1600 km east of Australia. The project site is on a thin peninsula near Noumea, where on the bay side are the building’s ten wooden cases with their curved facades facing the prevalent winds from the ocean. Noumea has a semi-tropical climate, also considered “oceanic tropical.” The temperatures range from a winter minimum of 65 degrees Fahrenheit to a summer maximum of 93 degrees Fahrenheit. In such a hot and humid climate, the incorporation of efficient passive cooling systems can be achieved through ventilation, microclimates and shading devices, in order to supply fresh air for body cooling and for cooling of the building.

The Cultural Center was designed with a strong emphasis of the goal to utilize natural ventilation. In terms of its location on site, in order to achieve maximum ventilation, the project is sited on a hilltop, where most wind is received, facing the south prevailing wind. With fewer trees planted on this side of the island, wind is able to access the building easily as natural ventilation. On the other hand, tall trees are planted along the east and west side as a way of “funneling” the wind into the center. Ventilation acts as a method of passive cooling, but additionally, the warm and humid air on site is also cooled by the surrounding water. Due to temperature differences between land and water, cool sea breezes are generated during the day and land breezes at night. Furthermore, the building is elevated above sea level, and the steep slope on the south side, in the direction of the prevailing wind, has a cooling effect on the wind as it travels up the slope from water to land.

Two main principles are used to achieve natural ventilation in the design of the Cultural Center: stack ventilation and ventilation due to wind forces. There is a negligible difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures on the island; therefore, a desired ventilation rate can only be achieved by increasing the vertical distance between the inlet and outlet of the building. Air circulates freely between two layers of wood laminate. The double-skin system brings breezes down into the building or by guiding convection currents up and out of the cases. The outer shell encourages desired convection currents through its orientation and spacing of the wooden cladding. The inner skin of the building is a series of horizontal louvres at the base and below the roof. Louvres below the roof are fixed open in order to maintain a pressure balance between the interior and exterior, preventing wind from lifting the roof. The lower louvres are controlled for ventilation based on wind direction and intensity. In addition, the louvres act as shading devices controlling solar access into the building.