Traditional housing
Even before creating an individual habitat, man had to tame the archipelago's geography and learn to inhabit its islets, developing an urban layout specific to island life. The first step is to clear the entrance to the reef, a space known as the neru, then to create an area for mooring boats and, once on the island, to establish a main road lined with individual houses and community buildings. A "beach pavilion", a meeting space, and a jetty are often added to the shoreline. Since time immemorial, the inhabitants of the archipelago have developed a habitat that respects the environment and is adapted to the living conditions in this region. Even the most modest houses are usually built on a coral stone platform to avoid direct contact with humidity. In wealthier homes, the floor can then be covered with plaster. The frame is made of wood, before coconut thatch walls are added, sometimes with wood panels. The roof, meanwhile, is made of overlapping coconut leaves joined to horizontal wooden battens. Sometimes, houses are built of coral stone. In this case, the framework is made up of juxtaposed blocks of cut stone, bound or not by lime mortar, and to which coconut wood beams can be integrated. Daily life is accompanied by a constant dialogue between inside and outside, resulting in open spaces and a specific emphasis on porches and verandas, pleasant shaded reception areas. For safety and hygiene, the kitchen and bathroom are arranged in separate areas. The orientation of the houses is calculated to minimize direct sunlight and limit the impact of heavy rain. Eaves also help to protect the house, even if the building materials used provide excellent insulation. In larger towns and villages, urban planning follows a grid pattern, with houses lining up perfectly along the streets. In most cases, the houses are built of coral stone and protected by a perimeter wall that delimits a shaded forecourt. You'll no doubt have noticed that these walls are perfectly rounded at intersections... a typically Maldivian tradition that softens the urban whole!
Mosques and palaces
Despite a seemingly unstoppable urbanization process, accompanied by the destruction of numerous buildings, the archipelago has managed to preserve some of the buildings that have become symbols of its history: the mosques. Made of coral stone, they share a number of common features, starting with the stone platform on which they are built and their wooden framework. Their organization is also identical: a surrounding wall protects the mosque complex, which includes, in addition to the mosque itself, a minaret, a well and a cemetery. The interior space is organized according to a hypostyle structure, designating rooms whose ceilings are supported by columns. These columns may be made of wood or stone. The prayer room is usually rectangular in shape. The mosque is also surrounded by dhaalas or verandas. The roof, meanwhile, is made of coconut thatch... although today this is often replaced by clay tiles or even corrugated iron. But if these mosques are considered true stone masterpieces, it's above all for their incredible decorative richness. Local craftsmen have developed an art of engraving, molding and glazed decoration that is revealed in the superb carved wooden doors, richly decorated coffered ceilings and columns bearing Arabic-influenced motifs combining calligraphy and geometric figures. Cemetery tombs are also often richly engraved and decorated. Among the finest examples of this craftsmanship, don't miss the Friday Mosque at Ihavandhoo (18th century) on Haa Alifu atoll, the Friday Mosque at Fenfushi (17th-18th century) on Alifu Dhaalu atoll, and above all the Friday Mosque (17th century) and the Eid Mosque (19th century), both in Malé. The palaces of kings and sultans have disappeared... in fact, the only palace still in existence, albeit one that has been truncated and modified many times, is the Palais Mulee-Aage, the presidential palace in Malé, dating from the early 20th century, and recognizable by its atypical silhouette borrowing from the codes of colonial architecture then favored by the British: colonnades and galleries, red-tiled roofs contrasting with the whiteness of the facade, itself enhanced by splashes of vibrant color, and stylized pediments and cornices with mantling and chiseled motifs. A real eye-catcher in this urban landscape!
Imagining the future
Since the creation of the first resort in 1972, the islands have seen a steady stream of large hotel complexes. While many are not architecturally interesting, others are unusual, like the Muraka on Rangali Island, whose villas are located... 5.9 m under the sea. To achieve this feat, a special acrylic glass was manufactured in Japan to withstand water pressure without the need for load-bearing pillars, so as not to spoil guests' views! At the same time, many resorts today are opting for sustainable architecture that is more in tune with the island's traditions. Bungalows with thatched roofs and coconut leaves are making a comeback, while coral stone is reintroduced into the interior décor, as at Patina Maldives on Fari Islands. At One & Only Reethi Rah, the bungalows were built by local craftsmen using natural materials such as Malaysian wood, teak, rattan, mahogany and coconut palms. But only the Kudadoo Resort can claim to be the first to have been entirely designed according to the principles of sustainable architecture (use of cedar wood with properties that withstand climate and salinity, roof designed to allow rainwater to be collected, solar panels integrated into the structure...). But however sustainable they may be, these resorts can do nothing about the inexorable rise in sea levels, which is forcing architects to build ever higher above sea level. As the Maldives is one of the areas most threatened by the consequences of global warming, some architects are already looking for solutions that are both unusual and ingenious. Some designers, for example, are proposing to convert oil platforms into floating cities to house the population and preserve the history of the Maldives!
