Home to hundreds of peoples, the island of the Pacific had distinctive languages and cultures thousands of years before Europeans set foot on their shores. The Pacific Ocean dominates the life of the islands of Tahiti, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, determining the climate, flora and fauna, as well as the rhythm of people's lives.
The enormous variety of environments and lifestyles has given rise to vibrant cultures that have blended tradition with the many colonial influences of the region to give a distinctive, contemporary Pacific style. This book captures that style and the unique beauty and atmosphere of the Pacific Islands.
The use of attractive natural material, practical environment-enhancing design, bold colours and innovative approaches to indoor/outdoor living in traditional in the Pacific for climatic, practical and cultural reasons and these appealing characteristics are increasingly part of architectural and design trends world-wide.
Both the traditional architecture and designs of the Pacific, such as the pole houses of the Solomons, the tivaevae of the Cook Islands, and the houses or case of New Caledonia, and the new styles that incorporate these traditional concepts, are featured in imaginative combinations of the cool and colourful style that is the Pacific.
