Great council of chiefs facility, suva fiji

Bennett Architecture participated in a concept tender to design the Great Council of Chiefs Facility in Suva, Fiji. On winning the project we participated in developing the design with a local design practice, in Fiji. Our design was based on traditional cultural themes, materials and architecture and includes a number of elements important to the council.

Externally we incorporated an old building, now a military museum given this is the departing location for overseas troops. A tanoa bowl to the seaward side radiates is power of connection and cultural significance to the site. The main facility including the council building includes traditional defensive rock walls and moats with the main building sited at the most preeminent location. The project was of great cultural significance to Fijians but was finished in a time of great political upheaval and the council was suspended by the interim government in 2007. Regrettably sometime later in 2019 the building was burned down.