Luxury Indian Ocean LUXURY MAURITIUS No 5 EDITION 2018 | Page 86

MAISONS DE PRESTIGE
Dites-nous-en plus sur votre fondation Marengo.
Marengo est une fondation locale, sans but lucratif, dédiée au
patrimoine. Elle est unique à l’île Maurice. Son rôle prioritaire
est de préserver les sites patrimoniaux, qui sont pour la plupart
en danger. La fondation Marengo vise à protéger une partie de
notre âme en acquérant et en gérant des sites patrimoniaux. Une
maison historique peut devenir une école, un musée ou demeurer
une maison. Cela exige toutefois une certaine connaissance. Notre
deuxième objectif est de s’assurer que ces compétences perdurent
grâce à une poignée d’artisans - les tailleurs de pierre, jardiniers,
ébénistes - qui formeront les plus jeunes. La fondation Marengo
encourage la recherche et l’utilisation d’une architecture et d’un
paysagisme authentiques dans les nouveaux projets.
À quoi ressemble une maison mauricienne traditionnelle ? De
quels matériaux est-elle faite ?
La maison mauricienne est unique au monde. Elle se distingue
même de la case créole de l’île de la Réunion, située à seulement
200 kilomètres. Traditionnellement, la forme et les matériaux d’une
maison mauricienne varient selon le statut social du propriétaire
et son emplacement. Elle a légèrement évolué depuis trois siècles.
Les maisons de campagne étaient construites en torchis avec un
toit en paille, alors que les bungalows pieds dans l’eau étaient faits
en ravenale. Cependant, une maison mauricienne typique est faite
de bois sur une base en pierre, avec un toit très incliné recouvert de
bardeaux en teck. Dans les hauteurs, les grandes maisons étaient
communément appelées des 'campements'. Pratiquement toutes
ces maisons affichaient les mêmes teintes de bleu gris, de blanc
et de noir. Méconnue des jeunes Mauriciens, cette palette de
couleurs, qui nous accordait une identité collective, a virtuellement
disparu. Au 20 e siècle, la tôle ondulée décorée et les motifs en
béton fantaisistes ont commencé à être utilisés. Les jardins étaient
une extension nécessaire de la maison, dessinés de manière très
spécifiques, rarement visibles aujourd’hui. Au cours des dernières
décennies, la plupart ont été détruits. Il est important de préciser
que le patrimoine n’englobe pas nécessairement toutes les choses
anciennes. Notre architecture locale reste imbattable par sa
durabilité et sa beauté intemporelle. Avec les bonnes proportions, le
bon emplacement - par rapport au soleil, au vent et aux perspectives -
et l’utilisation d’éléments traditionnels, les nouvelles constructions
pourraient jouer un rôle dans la conservation de notre culture
et de notre savoir-faire. L’architecture mauricienne, idéalement
adaptée à notre climat tropical et à notre environnement, illustre
parfaitement un design bien pensé.
Thomas Meur, how would you define “heritage” ?
The term “heritage” pertains to a nation’s culture, aesthetics and way
of life. For most, it typically conjures up images of ancient historical
edifices. While that holds true, it also encompasses the natural and
cultural landscape, historical garden designs and artifacts. It further
manifests itself through intangible forms: values, traditions, songs (let
us never forget “La Rivière Tanier”) and skills that are handed down
from one generation to the next. Together, they constitute our heritage
and are vital expressions of our culture. The heritage is to the country
what the soul is to a human being; it exemplifies our belonging to a
community, emanating a sense of place and distinctiveness, reminding
us that we form part of a cultural continuum. I was vividly aware, from
a tender age, of the beauty and uniqueness of the Mauritian heritage
that has, since then, been largely depleted. Today, despite popular
assumptions, what remains of our heritage extends beyond Port Louis’
frontiers to other urban areas and the countryside.
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There is a common belief that preserving old buildings is costly
and futile. What do we gain by preserving our heritage?
Costly? Quite the opposite! While the general trend in Mauritius
is to create new cities on agricultural land and demolish the
remnants of our heritage, the benefits of keeping them intact
are immeasurable culturally, and vastly measurable financially. In
France, every €1 invested in heritage preservation generates €27
in the economy - that’s quite the investment. Futile? Meaningful!
Being surrounded by heritage, especially if it is correctly looked
after, provides locals a snapshot into what constitutes our aesthetic
values. Living amid historic buildings and preserved landscapes
revitalizes communities intellectually and strengthens our
common identity. Besides, heritage sites serve as a scientific base
for researchers and craftsmen, enabling them to understand and
perpetuate the uniqueness of a country’s culture, in a time where
globalization makes everything the same everywhere.
Tell us about the Marengo Foundation.
The Marengo Foundation is a nonprofit local foundation dedicated
to the heritage. Unique in Mauritius, its first role is to preserve
heritage sites, most of which are to this day in danger. The Marengo
Foundation aims at keeping part of our soul intact by acquiring
and managing heritage sites: a historic house can be turned into
a school, a museum or simply remain a home. Reviving these sites
demands a particular knowledge – sometimes on the brink of
extinction. Our second goal is therefore to make sure these skills
live on thanks to a handful of craftsmen – stonemasons, gardeners,
cabinetmakers – who teach the younger generation. The Marengo
Foundation also encourages research and the use of authentic local
architecture, decor and landscaping in new projects.
What does a traditional Mauritian home look like? What
materials were they made of ?
The Mauritian home’s design makes it unique in the world. It
is easily distinguished even from the case creole, the traditional
dwelling found on Reunion Island merely 200 miles away.
Historically, a Mauritian home’s form and materials varies
depending on the owner’s social status, its location and evolved
slightly over three centuries. Cob houses with straw roofs were
found in the countryside, whereas seaside bungalows – dubbed
“campements” – were made of ravenala. The quintessential
Mauritian home, however, is made of timber upon a stone base,
with high-pitched roofs covered with handmade teak shingles.
In the high grounds, the larger homes were commonly known
as “campagnes.” Practically all of them displayed the same hues
of grey-blue, white and black. This distinctive color scheme,
which lent us a collective identity, has virtually disappeared
and is unknown to younger Mauritians. In the XX th century,
ornate corrugated iron and fancy cement designs started
being used. Gardens were a requisite extension of the house
and showed very specific Mauritian designs, rarely seen today.
Over the past decades, most of this has been destroyed. I would
like to emphasize that the heritage does not mandatorily
go hand in hand with all things old. Our local architecture
remains unbeatable for its sustainability and timeless beauty.
With the right proportions, strategic positioning (in relation
to the sun, wind and views) and use of traditional elements,
brand new buildings would have a part in keeping our culture
and craftsmanship alive. The Mauritian architecture, perfectly
adapted to our tropical climate and environment, epitomizes a
truly smart design.