RE ) PRESENTING THE VERNACULAR / ( RE ) lNVENTING AUTHENTICITY : RESORT ARCHITECTURE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

The tremendous growth in economic developme nt in the countries of Southeast Asia has resulted in a dramatic increase in incraregional travel. As a result, tourist developments are being built at a tremendous speed and scale . Such buildings are bringing into sharp focus the definitions of terms such as "tradition/al" and "modern/ity ," as well as redefining notions of "authenticity" within various cultural settings. The paper explores tourists' quest for authenticity by examining three sensitively designed resorts which use the vernacular to perpetuate an architectural language that assumes the status of authenticity b y ensuring a perceived historical continuity. The paper also argues that the concept of authenticity is one way of articulating the experience of modernity and postmodernity. It proposes that authenticity can only be addressed b y opening the references of figuration to the multiple imperatives of contemporary culture.