Auuiki meeting house

After the Kono'iwae Revolution, Auali'i Keao established his powerbase in Auuiki to demonstrate a clear break from the Bjerian regime.
Following the Bjerian's retaliatory shelling of the coastal towns, Keao convened his government in the port's market as the only surviving building large enough to host them. With the market's open sides, the meeting quickly expanded to the entire community. Although Keao had claimed he intended to establish a people's parliament in due course, the Kono'iwae appetite for an imposed leadership was thoroughly exhausted and attempts to keep the community out of the meeting immediately threatened to break into a riot. The establishment of a formal parliament never began and the market space was permanently adopted as a communal political forum.

Purpose / Function

Like other meeting houses across the Commonwealth, the Auuiki meeting house is the central meeting point for political debate and voting in Auuiki. Its position as the capital's meeting house means that it also serves as the venue for meetings between delegates from towns across Keʻao Waoki and Kono'i in general.

Alterations

Originally built as an indoor market, the interior of the venue was cleared out following the Kono'i Revolution and later partially destroyed by artilliary strikes against the port. It was rebuilt following the cessation of hostilities and, although it was adapted to Kono'iwae building materials and techniques, the design of the building remains noticably influenced by Bjerian architecture - left as a reminder of how and why the commonwealth was formed.

Architecture

A large rectangular building, the meeting house is a mix of a Bjerian longhouse and tradtitional Ke'ao Waoki chieftain's hall.
It it two storeys tall, the ground floor having no walls between its carved and painted wooden pillars, and open to the public at all times. The upper floor is a single room, externally walled with plain wood planks, and is used to house travelling delegates.
The building has a skirtlike roof that extends the shaded area of the meeting hall, reminiscent of the porches or lānai found on residential homes in Auuiki. Both the skirt and the main roof are made of wooden shingle, rather than tradtional thatch.
The pillars are designed to represent historical figures and mythological heroes, and are re-painted biannually at major festivals. The pillars may be further decorated with flowers, jewellery, and other offerings at high days celebrating the depicted figure.

Type

Manor house / Meeting hall

Owning Organization

Kono'i Commonwealth