Embracing humanist values, cultural exploration, diversity and identity.
Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea was host to the XVth Pacific Games in 2015. Located within the Papua New Guinea University Campus, the 1,100-room Games Village was home to over 5,000 athletes and game officials during the event and is now used as student accommodation for the University. The project delivers an elegant and significant icon for the country.
The project brief required a design that symbolised the aspiration for a much desired unified country and contemporary representation of Papua New Guinea. A clustered 'family' approach was adopted to address the significant size of the village. Five buildings, like tribal huts, are connected by bridges and open spaces into clusters around communal Haus Wins / Mu courtyards where traditional family gatherings occur, emulating the layout of the indigenous village. All courtyards have visual and physical connections to one another.
The design inspiration for the Pacific Games Village draws on strong characteristics of Papua New Guinea’s identity and character. Art and colour is integral in many of the country’s early and modern day rituals. Their unique patterns, dances, sing sings, vibrant colours and regalia are strongly referenced in the building design.
Indigenous architecture formed a strong reference point in designing the apex structures and communal gathering places. These were subsequently adopted into the village master plan and abstracted into the design of shade canopies that shroud the base building, providing shelter and protection for the bedrooms.
The Pacific Games Village symbolises an aspiration for a socially and culturally unified country. The project deeply appreciates the indigenous tribal way of life and translates this into contemporary architecture that embraces humanist values, cultural exploration, diversity and identity.