Kobayashi Zedda Architects Kobayashi Zedda Architects, previously Florian Maurer Architect Ltd, has developed a Yukon architecture by creating buildings that are dif- ferent in texture from the architecture of the central and eastern arctic. They have been recognized for their work with First Nations and their insistence on energy efficiency in northern climates. Tony Zedda speaks of their work as building ‘in the land’ and notes that ‘you can’t just go somewhere and do good architecture— that the subtleties of a place are only understood from living in and engaging with a place’. Teslin Tlingit Cultural Centre (2001), Teslin,Yukon. 60°north. The Teslin Tlingit Cultural Centre is sited adjacent to Teslin Lake, an important fishing resource for the community.The axis of the Great Hall is aligned with the Three Aces, mountains that guided the Tlingit people in their migration inland from the west coast 250 years ago.The juxtaposition of forms, drawing from traditional lean-to structures and post and beam construction techniques, reinforce the line of passage through the site. A linear path lined with totems leads to a large out- door carving area. Moving through the building, one arrives at a gentle exterior ramp that extends along the building façade, sloping with the landscape towards the lake. Exterior decks extend the floor plane beyond the building envelope, emphasising the natural surround and the priority of activities that bridge both the exterior and interior.The cultural centre is a modest building that expresses reverence for its context and its people. It is an example of treading lightly in concept and in built reality.
below: ramp that links the Cultural Centra entrance to the landscape. bottom: view from the Great Hall of the Teslin Tlingit Cultural Centre
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