At the precise point where Tahiti’s two volcanoes meet, facing the ring road and opening onto the lagoon, the Taravao Administrative Center takes root in Polynesian soil. Here, the landform, the wind and the horizon compose a living landscape.
Visible from the main axis, the project naturally follows the slope of the site, asserting its institutional presence without monumentality. It enters into dialogue with the sea, captures the light, and extends the continuity of the ground. A welcoming institution embodying public service, turned toward its community.
Natural continuity prevails. The ground becomes architecture; architecture becomes landscape.
From the road, the public facility is legible and clear. As one approaches, the scale shifts and reveals itself differently: a constellation of volumes set out like a village. Human-scale entities connected by a garden plinth in continuity with the natural terrain.
Inspired by traditional Polynesian roof forms, the architectural language reinterprets local building culture in a contemporary expression. Vegetation, shade and generous roof overhangs create a protective yet luminous atmosphere.
The landscaped roof extends the topography toward the lagoon and becomes a planted belvedere, a shared space where the breath of the Pacific flows through. This plinth is not merely a base: it is a place of encounter, of pause, of conviviality. A space to cross, to linger, to exchange.
This village-like organization fosters a sense of ownership, clarity of movement, and fluid circulation.
“Nothing ostentatious: a truthful, open and welcoming architecture, in the spirit of Polynesian culture.”
— Simon Tsouderos, Lead Architect, AIA Life Designers.
At the heart of the project, shared spaces are gathered within a “structuring arc” that marks the threshold between staff-only areas and the public realm. It embraces planted courtyards where air and light circulate freely. These inner gardens extend the landscape into the workspaces. Views open toward the lagoon and the mountains. Shadows shape places for rest. Circulation paths become promenades.
Designed in harmony with the climate, the architecture captures the prevailing northeast trade winds. The roofs channel the natural airflow, creating gentle and continuous ventilation. Here, comfort arises from dialogue with the wind, from the building’s breath, from constructive simplicity.
Performance is discreet. The climate becomes an ally. The project lives to the rhythm of its territory.
A place of hospitality for the public and a workplace for nearly 500 staff members, the Administrative Center brings together institutional presence and human warmth. It offers a new, open and convivial centrality.
In Taravao, the spirit of the village meets the strength of the institution.
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Contracting authority Grands Projets de Polynésie
Lead architect Corail (local)
Associate architect AIA Life Designers
Engineering Luseo
Environmental expertise AIA Environnement
Program
Construction of an administrative center: reception, service counters, auditorium, offices, meeting/conference areas, cafeteria, staff restaurant, co-working space, changing rooms and gym, parking for 480 vehicles and 110 bicycles.
Surface area 29 800 m²
Project cost 50 M€ HT
© AIA Life Designers & Corail, architects – images : Hansinok Shanghaï