sociopolitical issues may be the price of the “Bilbao Effect," wherein even the greatest and most celebrated foreign designs cannot completely bridge the gap between the architectural standards of international competitions and the sense of regional appropriateness so demandingly required by cultural centers. Yet, to say that Renzo Piano's effort at Nouméa is admirable would be a serious understatement; as an example of formal creativity and technological skill, the Center is no less than one of the finest and most advanced projects of its time.