Resstende is actively involved in a new project developed in collaboration with four graduate students attending the ‘Art of Building’ architecture course managed by Arch. Renzo Piano at the Politecnico di Milano.
Samuele, Giuseppe, Dylan, and Fabio chose the Tjibaou Cultural Center in Nouméa, New Caledonia, a distinctive work by the RPBW studio, to study the necessary interventions to expand the center’s outdoor area. Their goal is to provide sun protection and create new spaces for activities and events.
The students commented, “The meeting and discussion with Resstende’s Senior Project Manager, Angelo Furia, helped us find a tailor-made technological solution involving manually sliding external panel curtains, offering new sheltered spaces from the intense tropical sun for various activities and events held year-round at the cultural center.”
During their meetings with Senior Project Manager Furia, the students discussed the project challenges necessary to develop an innovative technological solution for the building. The idea of expanding the covered outdoor space with a canopy aligns with the Tjibaou Cultural Center’s primary objective: to be a meeting point for people and communities, a place of cultural mixing and social interaction.
The solution combines local elements and contemporary technologies: the chosen materials include pandanus weaving for the shading and a sophisticated mechanism described by the students as “high-tech tribal.”
“Resstende supported us in this project due to its proven experience and success in previous collaborations with the RPBW studio and other student groups who have tackled similar projects before us. The experience has been extremely positive for us, allowing us to get to know the company and its products better, enabling us to find inspiration for developing the ideal solution for our project.”