The faré, the traditional house
Traditional faré is made entirely from vegetable materials. The luxuriant fauna has indeed allowed the construction of these kinds of huts which are light and very easy to set up. The faré is built on a vast land abundantly planted with trees. Placed on the ground (except in the Marquesas where it has foundations, the pae pae), its frame is made of coconut trunks; the roof is made of woven pandanus leaves. There were several sizes of farés, depending on the wealth (or courage) of the owners or the use that was made of them. The chiefs had some that measured 40 m, the fare potee being used today for feasts. There were pirogue sheds, meeting rooms 100 m long, the faré taoto where the communities slept together.
Living in a mild climate all year round, the Polynesians built their homes according to a concept totally different from that of our regions. Whereas in Europe and in most countries, the house groups all its functions under the same roof in a closed property, the traditional Polynesian dwelling is composed of several farés each having their function in an open space. There is one faré to sleep, another to prepare food, a third to take meals... all in a lush and generous garden belonging to the whole clan, with no road or axis organizing the whole, except for the river or the lagoon.
It should be noted that the natural materials used to build the farés would require a lot of maintenance. The sun, wind, rain, but also the presence of insects led the inhabitants to renew their houses regularly. The arrival of the Europeans thus caused some changes. For reasons of hygiene, the farés were built on stilts and those who remained on the ground saw the floors concreting.
The ancestral faré is no longer really part of the architectural culture of Tahiti and Polynesia. It has given way to wooden farés, and also to constructions made of concrete and sheet metal. Polynesians, for financial reasons, nowadays seem to prefer to use its materials which are more affordable, more resistant to the vagaries of the weather and easier to maintain. Consequently, it is a part of the Polynesian culture that has gradually disappeared.Towards a modern habitat
Today, the climate is still mild, but the architecture (in its housing concept) is largely inspired by modern construction. The notion of private property has led to the closure of spaces, to make them into gardens in housing estates as everywhere else, while on less populated islands and in disadvantaged or family-oriented neighbourhoods, there are still few fences and separations of estates. On the other hand, several farés are still built on the property, each with its precise function, organised around a central house. Today's houses often have a fare potee (to eat), a fare pereoo (to park the car), a faré guest room..
On the construction side, natural materials are still frequently used, and have been the subject of renewed interest since the awareness of ecology and tourist interest was raised. The roofs of stilted bungalows in hotels and many houses and public buildings are still made of woven pandanus leaves. The others are often made of sheet metal, with beautiful pastel colours, but the walls are "hard" (concrete, cinder blocks or other). The "hard" house is opposed to those made of wood, whether woven bamboo or plywood, not really for aesthetics, but rather for cyclone resistance. These houses can be seen walking around the commune of Moerai. The colonial architecture still survives, and the new buildings are inspired by several sources, including Chinese, colonial, traditional and modern architecture. At times, grey and tagged concrete can be seen in the areas that were rapidly built around Papeete in the 1960s. But more often than not, the architecture blends well with nature, with most of the buildings built today not exceeding the height of the coconut trees. With white walls and red roofs, decorated with flowers, ferns and pareos, the villas are buried in the lush greenery of gardens, set on the beach, or open to all winds and perched on the mountain, overlooking the sunset and the islands in the distance. With a swimming pool, a fare potee for parties, a fare pereoo for the car, they are often spacious and comfortable, with carpets and cushions everywhere and even carpeting on the terrace, one lives a lot lying down in Polynesia.
Habitat on the water
This is probably the image that most often comes to mind for anyone who imagines Tahiti and its Polynesian splendors, the bungalow on stilts built just above an emerald sea that is the stuff of dreams for travelers around the world. However, the history of the archipelago does not reveal the existence of an aquatic habitat before the arrival of the Europeans on the territory. The constructions were most often done inland or on the coastline. The big hotel brands that built the bungalows on stilts did so to convey their brand image throughout the world and attract crowds to an enchanting setting. Hotels like the Meridien Bora Bora, the Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort or the Taha'a Island Resort & Spa are certainly inspired by the traditional Polynesian habitat, but remain establishments that are not very accessible to the vast majority of travelers.
Nevertheless, one of the advantages of having built on the water is to have made the Polynesian population aware that this type of construction must be seriously considered in the future, because in order to face the erosion of the coastline and the rising waters, it can represent an interesting alternative to be able to accommodate new arrivals.Papeete, the example of a city in the middle of the lagoons
The arrival of the first European settlers disrupted the balance of traditional Polynesian society. It was therefore at this time that Papeete became considerably urbanized. First of all, because the French wanted to protect the territory from the English invasion. So they built all sorts of roads, a military camp, fortifications and it can be said that they are largely responsible for the image of the city today. When you walk around the Tahitian capital, you have to admit that it is a real architectural melting pot. The impression one may have when arriving in Papeete can quickly be that of a disorganized city, where buildings seem to take place without really caring about what happens around them, but despite everything, far from the clichés of bungalows on stilts imitating the farés, it is still worth a look. Indeed, as you look around, scrutinizing the monuments in detail is a great opportunity to better understand the history of the city and the different influences that led it to have the face it reveals today.
French Polynesia has seen two waves of Chinese immigration, the first in the second half of the 19th century and the second in the early 20th century, so it is no coincidence that Asian-style monuments can be found here and there.
The other great period that deeply marked Tahiti and French Polynesia was the arrival of the Europeans and the evolution towards the French Protectorate. In the city, a stroll will allow you to spot monuments that were undeniably built under European influence. Let's mention the main places of worship such as the Notre-Dame de Papeete cathedral, the Sainte-Thérèse church or the Bethel Protestant temple. Concerning the cathedral, we note its small dimensions which remind those of small churches that we can find in some villages of metropolitan France, just like its shape. But its yellow façade, the colored frames around the stained glass windows and the evolution of its interior decoration from a European style to a more Polynesian style attest perfectly to the desire to present a monument whose general appearance corresponds to the local environment.Religious heritage in French Polynesia
Religious heritage took off in Tahiti and French Polynesia with the arrival of Protestant missionaries from the London Missionary Society in 1797. Christianity developed, and a religious heritage was born in the archipelago. It is worth highlighting its architectural specificities, with certain churches that blend perfectly into the green landscape, such as the church of Saint-Gabriel on the small island of Taravai, with its white facade and bluish hues, or the church of the Sacred Heart of Otepipi, in Anaa, which is located only a few meters from a heavenly beach with white sand and translucent waters. Other places of worship have an architecture that can be surprising, as is the case with the Church of St. Joseph in Faa'a, where the roofs are superimposed and the overall appearance appears unsightly. On the way to the foot of the Cathedral of Saint Michael in Rikitea, Mangareva, which has been restored, but which was originally built with sublime materials such as coral stone and coral lime, one can see the desire to have opted for an architecture that lives in perfect harmony with the surrounding greenery.
What architecture for tomorrow?
French Polynesia in general has to face a major problem: that of global warming and rising sea levels. Indeed, as in any archipelago, the melting of ice causes a rise in sea level, which gradually submerges the coastline. French Polynesia is vulnerable to this disturbance and even if the data are still not very reliable on the consequences in the more or less long term, it is still necessary for the authorities to be prepared. Taking into account this element, the demographic growth and the need to preserve a natural heritage of any beauty, what are the solutions then? The possibility of increasing the number of constructions on stilts in the not so distant future or even the emergence of floating houses, alternatives that have already seen the light of day in other regions of the world, is mentioned. But are the Polynesians ready to change their way of life as far as housing is concerned, only the need to make decisions will tell us
