Pritzker award winning architects, Sverre Fehn and Renzo Piano, both used building materials that were inspired by the natural setting of the building.
Renzo Piano used curving structures made of wooden ribs and slats on the Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center in New Caledonia. These curved structures were inspired by the traditional building crafts of the island. The wooden cases, a double layer of laminated timber ribs connected by a horseshoe shaped steel beam, look like trees projecting up and over the existing trees on the island.
Each of the cases also has a sloping glass roof, stiffened by tension cables, which allows for natural lighting. Natural ventilation can also be obtained by adjusting the louvers, which raises the panes of glass on the roof.
Sverre Fehn used the remains of an old farm structure for the Archbishopric Museum. The museum rests on the ruins of a medieval fortress. By using the remaining solid stone wall and vernacular stones to match, Fehn used the natural setting to his advantage. He combined rust coloured wooden structures covered by a double-pitched roof of clay tiles alternating with glass tiles, allowing for natural lighting, to re-create the old structure and its ambience.
Openings in the old stone wall were not filled, but were covered with unframed glass to add to the rustic nature of the museum. The cobblestone walks outside of the museum help to restore the character of the old structure. Although the type of stone used for the wall is unknown, it is possible that it could be of slate, rubble and/or possibly ashlar.
Although Piano and Fehn used very different building materials, they both had the same concept. That being, incorporating the surrounding environment into their structures, and/or using the naturally occurring surroundings to their advantage. By using building materials that were indigenous to the area of where they were building, both architects were able to achieve the natural concept.
