(Re)constructing Tropical Architecture in Solomon Islands

What is it about?

This paper investigates tropical modern buildings that established the capital Honiara, during the 1960s to early 1970s, on the island of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. A personal oral history informs this architectural narrative via conversations between the author and her father, who was an architect in the colonial service during that time.

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Why is it important?

Little has been written on the trajectory of tropical architecture into the Pacific region. The legacy of these modern buildings is examined alongside their post-colonial realities; reflecting the perspectives of an architect who designed in those times and the researcher’s own post-colonial experience. A little known translation of tropical architecture from West Africa to the Pacific is brought to light.

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