Light Rail Redux
In my last post, I expressed concerns with the light-rail proposal as detailed in the Ngauranga-to-Airport (N2A) strategic study. Implicit in my statement at the end of the post that “I have a hard time getting behind this light rail proposal at this point in time” is the fact that a different time or a different proposal could indeed change my mind.
As for better proposals (or lack thereof), the N2A technical report effectively takes them off the table when it notes (on page 16) the following:
A high quality passenger transport connection between the Johnsonville growth node and the CBD has been investigated in a separate study [The North-Wellington Public Transport Study]. A range of options were investigated including retaining heavy rail, replacing heavy rail with a light rail system, replacing the railway with a guided bus system and using buses on existing road network. Part way through this separate study, Council decided that the existing heavy rail network would remain. Consequently, we have assumed that the high quality passenger transport service connecting the CBD and the Johnsonville growth node will be heavy rail.
Given this, my initial inclination was to ignore these and similar options …
The Forest Grows
In the wake of the Athfield waterfront win, a new seed is set to sprout up in the inner city. Taking root in the Willis New World Metro, this new tower is the latest in a string of green buildings that have been proposed or built. Aiming to achieve a five star Green rating, it seems to tick all the standard boxes: efficient air conditioning and circulation, double skinned glazing and sensor-operated lighting.
While the building’s eco-agenda checks out, the rest of the tower is much less impressive…
Wow Indeed
Athfield Architects have scooped the waterfront prize-pool, with a clean sweep win of all the sites covered in the Kumutoto North competition. Well done indeed to Ath and his merry band of cliffside dwellers. Wellington Waterfront also deservers kudos for having running a competition in the first place, and for sneaking out the press release a mere 5 months after the competition was held. We’re not quite sure why it has taken so long for the decision to be know, but we’re glad that a new conversation can now begin in earnest.
The first question therefore is, have the judges chosen the best scheme?
No doubt all the competition entrants will have their own opinions on this somewhat controversial decision. I suspect that the rest of the architects in Wellington will certainly be watching with sharp interest, but also perhaps a weary bitterness or resigned tedium to the news that Athfield has landed yet another commission (even though the entries were anonymous). In recent months they have have:
won the commission for the Overseas Passenger Terminal
been tasked with designing the architectural elements in Frank Kitts Park
battled for their South coast Aquarium
completed work on the Odlins …
Does My Building Look Big In This?
At the far end of the waterfront promenade from the recently opened oHtel, lies the newest addition to the waterfront: the BNZ ‘groundscraper’. It’s a big building that must treat its bulk carefully, but fortunately what is emerging from the scaffolding seems much more interesting than what the first renders gave it credit for. The architects have clearly delved deep into their bag of tricks to disguise some of the mass, but is this effect that Jasmax were planning for, or just a curious by-product?
I’m talking of course about the south elevation that stands close to the stern of the BlueBridge Ferry. There is a curious grid pattern across the façade that splays out, seeming to flicker up and down - much like a moiré pattern or one of those fresnels of a winking Jesus. I think its caused by the gradual widening of the window spacing – the closer you sit to the sea, the more window view you get, whereas if you sit close to the city, your window gets reduced to a much slimmer slot. No guesses as to where the boss …
A State of Shock?
Something of a minor incident was caused recently, when acclaimed English author Duncan Fallowell brazenly attacked many aspects of New Zealand culture in his new travel book. Going As Far As I Can is the result of Duncan’s 3 month sojourn to Aotearoa, a trip that was evidently not very agreeable.
“I’m in a state of shock. Where to begin? . . . Wellington has been even more catastrophically demolished than Auckland. This is the capital city, so one was looking for style . . . who the hell is running this place?”
From the limited quotes that are released it seems that most of his architectural criticisms relate to the removal of historic buildings from city centres. Wellington in particular gets a harsh review, considered ruinous and messy - apparently Cuba St is the last bastion of our heritage (being confused but lively). Auckland gets off with a “not my idea of a town,” while Christchurch’s cathedral square is apparently a “visual disaster zone.”
The book also extensively covers the wider kiwi culture, remarking upon our women (slow-high spirits), tattoos (ornament is a crime?), rugby (emotional autism?) and many other subjects.
I’m slightly sceptical as to what exactly Fallowell considers to …
Fly my Pretty Roofs!
Tory Street, named after a settler ship bringing population to Poneke, has for many years been a skinny urban backwater. The road is too narrow to work as a fast route for four-wheeled commuters, but this results in a nice walkable street, certainly less windy than Taranaki. It is populated by small, quirky businesses set in small, quirky buildings: the Mall drycleaners, the Hawthorn Lounge, the Tory Urban Retreat and Moore Wilson’s. Big businesses and big buildings are largely unknown, the exception being Telecom’s stumpy tower blocks near Courtenay Place.
However change is in the air - as well as a perplexing plethora of fly away roofs.
