In a mathematically correct semicircle, identical fale were constructed at a precise and substantial distance from each other around a giant malae as shown in illustrations from ‘Samoa’s Iconic Fale: How Culture Informs Architecture’ —  a new book bringing decades of research together to document Samoa’s iconic meeting houses with photos from the past to the present and set for publication in May 2026. Notice the two-storey fale that is neither Samoan nor western but a mixture of the two. [photo from book]