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Traditional housing

Even before creating an individual habitat, man had to tame the geography of the archipelago and learn to inhabit the islets, developing an urban pattern specific to island life. The first step is to clear the entrance to the reef, a space called the neru, then to create an area for mooring boats and, once on the island, to establish a main road that will be bordered by individual houses and community buildings. A "beach pavilion", a meeting place, and a jetty are often added to the shoreline. Since the beginning, the inhabitants of the archipelago have developed a habitat that respects the environment and is adapted to the living conditions in this region. Thus the houses, even the most modest ones, are most often built on a coral stone platform in order to avoid direct contact with humidity. In the wealthier houses, the floor can then be covered with plaster. The framework is made of wood, before being added walls of coconut thatch, to which wood panels are sometimes added. The roof is made of coconut leaves stacked on top of each other and connected to horizontal wooden battens. Sometimes, the houses are built in coral stone. The framework is then made up of juxtaposed blocks of cut stone, bound or not by a lime mortar, and to which one can integrate coconut wood beams. Daily life is accompanied by a constant dialogue between the interior and exterior, resulting in open spaces and a specific importance given to porches and verandas, pleasant shaded reception areas. The kitchen and bathroom are located in separate areas for safety and hygiene. The orientation of the houses is calculated to minimize direct sunlight and limit the impact of heavy rain. The eaves also help to protect the house, although the construction materials provide excellent insulation. In larger towns and villages, the urban planning follows a grid pattern and the houses are perfectly aligned along the streets. Most of the time, the houses are made of coral stone and protected by a perimeter wall that delimits a shaded forecourt. You will probably have noticed that at the intersections, these walls are perfectly rounded... this is a typically Maldivian tradition which allows to soften the urban ensemble!

Mosques and palaces

Despite an urbanization that seems to stop at nothing and that is accompanied by the destruction of many buildings, the archipelago has managed to preserve buildings that have become symbols of its history: the mosques. Made of coral stone, they have a certain number of common characteristics, starting with the stone platform on which they are erected, and their wooden framework. Their organization is also identical: an enclosure wall protects the mosque complex, which includes, in addition to the mosque itself, a minaret, a well and a cemetery. The interior space is organised according to a structure known as hypostyle, which refers to rooms whose ceiling is supported by columns. These columns can be made of wood or stone. The prayer hall is most often a rectangular space. The mosque is also surrounded by dhaalas or verandas. As for the roof, it is made of coconut thatch... although today it is often replaced by clay tiles or even corrugated iron. But if these mosques are considered as true masterpieces of stone, it is especially for their incredible decorative wealth. Local craftsmen have developed an art of engraving, moulding and glazed decoration that is revealed in the superb carved wooden doors, the richly decorated coffered ceilings and the columns bearing Arabic-influenced motifs combining calligraphy and geometric figures. The tombs in the cemeteries are also often richly carved and decorated. Among the most beautiful examples of this know-how, do not miss the Friday Mosque at Ihavandhoo (18th century) on Haa Alifu Atoll, the Friday Mosque at Fenfushi (17th-18th century) on Alifu Dhaalu Atoll, and above all the Friday Mosque (17th century) and the Eid Mosque (19th century), both in Male. The palaces of the kings and sultans have disappeared... in fact, the only palace still in existence, although it has been truncated and modified many times, is the Mulee-Aage Palace, the presidential palace in Malé, dating from the beginning of the 20th century, and which is recognizable by its atypical silhouette borrowing from the codes of colonial architecture, which was then popular with the British: colonnades and galleries, red tile roofs contrasting with the whiteness of the facade, itself enhanced with touches of bright colors, and stylized pediments and cornices with mantling and chiseled motifs. Striking in this urban landscape!

Imagining the future

Since the creation of the first resort in 1972, the islands have not stopped seeing the construction of these large hotel complexes. While many of them are not architecturally interesting, others have chosen the unusual, such as Muraka on Rangali Island, where the villas are located... 5.9 m under the sea. To achieve this feat, a special acrylic glass was made in Japan to withstand the pressure of the water without the need for supporting pillars so as not to spoil the view of the guests! At the same time, many resorts are now opting for sustainable architecture that is more in line with the island's traditions. Bungalows with thatched roofs and coconut leaves are making a comeback, while coral stone is reintroduced in the interior decor, as at Patina Maldives on Fari Islands. At One & Only Reethi Rah, the bungalows were made by local craftsmen who used natural materials (Malaysian wood, teak, rattan, mahogany, coconut...). But only the Kudadoo Resort can claim to be the first to have been entirely designed according to the principles of sustainable architecture (use of cedar wood with its climate and salinity resistant properties, a roof designed to allow rain to be collected, solar panels integrated into the structure...). But however sustainable they may be, these resorts can do nothing against the inexorable rise in water levels which forces architects to build ever higher above sea level. The Maldives is one of the areas most threatened by the consequences of global warming, so some people are already looking for solutions that are sometimes unusual and clever. For example, some designers are proposing to convert oil platforms into floating cities to house the population and keep the history of the Maldives alive!