Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center Renzo Piano

The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center is located on a narrow strip of land in New Caledonia, a former French colony in the South
Pacific. The small island enjoys a temperate climate, with temperatures ranging from 61°F in August and 86 °F in January/December
(the mean temperature is a balmy 73 °F). Humidity ranges throughout the year, but stays around 70%. There are four distinct seasons
in New Caledonia, two rainy seasons at the equinoxes and two drier transition seasons. The hot season lasts from December to March
and is the time when the island receives torrential rain and winds, sometimes cyclones.

According to the psychrometric chart,

the climate of New Caledonia is best
suited for natural ventilation. A combi-
nation of moderate-to-high tempera-
tures and high humidity make air
movement the most efficient way to
keep a space cool and dry. Natural
ventilation was a natural choice for
Renzo Piano in his design, which
sought to incorprorate elements of
Kanak architecture, the native people
of New Caledonia. The cultural center
was meant to celebrate their culture,
but also to be an act of reconciliation
between the island nation and the
French. Piano chose to use a passive Traditional Kanak buildings.
cooling design in the same way as the
traditional Kanak building.

Lagoon Side

Ocean Side
Plan of the Cultural Center complex. It is located on a penisula between a shallow
lagoon and the ocean. There are constant breezes from the ocean to the lagoon,
which creates a cooled microclimate.
The Cultural Center is a collection of 10 individual buildings, located
along a linear breezeway on a peninsula. They are oriented north-
wards, towards the sun, with their protective bamboo outer shells
facing the ocean side. This is done to maximize natural cooling within
the buildings.

Cool, low wind coming off the ocean is allowed through the permeable bamboo frame. Before a cyclone, under high pressure, the waterproof parts of the building are closed and
This is the state of the wind 90% of the time high pressure air is allowed to escape through the chimney.

When there are no breezes coming off the water, the unique shape of the shell creates a During a cyclone, under low pressure, the waterproof parts of the building are sealed and
Venturi Effect which pulls hot, stale air up through the chimney and out of the building. the chimney allows pressure to equalize.

There are two main natural ventilation systems at work within the building: the Stack Effect and the Venturi Effect. The
inner glass shell has many louvres, which allow it to be insulated or ventilated as needed. Most of the time, ventilation
is the most important factor in maintaing comfort so they are left open.

The buildings create a Stack Effect by having a glazed, open inner roof structure, The buildings create a Venturi Effect by forcing breezes to pass up and over the
which allows the air within the building to heat up, rising out through the chimney semi-permeable outer shell. This creates a pressure differential on the leeward
and pulling cooler air in from the lagoon. side of the shell, pulling hot, stale air out of the inner building.