The Immaculate Conception Cathedral stands in Apia. Its principal facade combines twin domed bell towers, a large round window and lower pointed roofs. Church life is woven deeply into Samoan communities, and this prominent building gives that presence an architectural form.
Papapapaitai, also called Tiavi Falls, can be seen from a viewpoint beside Upolu's Cross Island Road. The water drops through a steep, forested setting within Samoa's mountainous landscape. The lookout allows the waterfall to be understood in relation to its surrounding slopes, rather than as an isolated ribbon of water.
Vailima was the Samoan home of Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island. The house is now a museum with material about his life and writing. Its red roofs and two levels of shaded verandas give the building an airy domestic scale.
The lava field at Saleaula preserves evidence of a destructive eruption in 1905. One of its striking sights is the LMS church ruin, where dark solidified lava occupies the interior. Surviving masonry and arched openings place a human building within the island’s volcanic history.
The Bahá’í House of Worship at Tiapapata on Upolu was dedicated in 1984. Its nine symmetrical sides and entrances express a theme of unity. Curved pale roof segments and narrow mirrored-glass ribs give the building a distinctive outline above its gardens.
At Lotofaga on Upolu, To Sua Ocean Trench opens into a deep natural swimming hole. Vines soften its rocky walls, while a wooden platform rests beside the water.