Biculturalism - Kakano ruatanga: an architecture of opposition and the intention of Te Papa Tongarewa; The Museum of New Zealand

Abstract

This Research Report started with the thesis of bicultural architecture being an architecture of binomial opposition i.e. the expression of an indigenous architecture resisting the hegemony of Modernism. The aim was to investigate the proposal for the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in the light of this thesis and the stated intent of the museum to "express the bicultural nature of the country". After researching and analysing the museum I discovered that the physical architecture was "secondary" to the state of mind that creates a special place for the Māori people. As such, this discovery subverted the intent of this report. Implied in the thesis was the primary importance of the "architecture" in creating a bicultural building. As presented, the Developed Design proposal for Te Papa Tongarewa does not convey biculturalism; the innate separation of Māori and Pākehā and their respective cultures has been desensitised for safe consumption and bi-culturalism confused with multi-culturalism - in the architecture. The understanding at this stage is that the Māori people may "create" a space that is culturally their own through the definition of areas of tapu and noa and the presence of ancestors and gods.