New Architecture of the South Pacific: How the Maori Worldview is Changing New Zealand's Built Environment

摘要

New Zealand, or Aotearoa (its Maori name) has been learning important lessons in terms of developing a national identity through architecture that could make an important contribution to overseas architectural thinking, particularly within the former colonies and our increasingly diverse communities worldwide. Being a relatively young country, it has adopted Western styles of architecture since colonisation, formalised by the signing of theTreaty of Waitangi in 1840 by the British Crown and at least 500 Maori chiefs. It has only been since the mid-20th century that New Zealand's evolving identity started to be communicated through its architecture. In 1946, young Kiwi practice Group Architects said: 'Overseas solutions will not do. New Zealand must have its own architecture, its own sense of what is beautiful and appropriate to our climate and conditions.'1 However, it has really only been in the past decade that New Zealand's indigenous history, culture and identity has been considered within mainstream architecture.