So I was thinking to myself, as you do on a fine summer’s day like today: what is it that makes Cuba St so special, whereas Manners Mall just doesn’t cut the mustard?
Is it the paving? Grey bricks just aren’t as warm and friendly as the orange hues of Cuba. Is it the architecture? Cuba’s sure is older, while Manners is newer: but is that all there is?
Is it the people? Surely not – its often the same people in both spaces.
Is it the shops? It’s noticeable that the fast food barns congregate on the…
read the full entryYes, tonight is the night for the architectural community, as the local Wellington region Awards for Architecture and annual knees up are being held tonight. Last year the awards went to the New Dowse, the Masterton Police Station and the Greytown Town Hall, Holiday Inn, the new Maritime Tower, Len Lye’s water whirler, the waterfront refurbishment of Shed 13, and the highly deserved award for Conservation House (which went on to win a Supreme Award by the year’s end), as well as a swathe of awards for some very fine housing. Awards are being held in the very evocatively period…
read the full entryAs you’ve probably noticed, the WCC is canvassing for opinions on the proposed change to the bus route through Manners Mall.
We’re a bit surprised how little public dialogue there has been so far on the proposal – and so we thought we’d open up a place for your informal dialogue and discussion to go. The picture above is of Manners Mall, taken on the corner of Cuba, just a few days after mid-winter. Its a little after lunchtime, and so the afternoon sun is streaming into the mall, keeping those pedestrians happy. Seems like a nice place to…
read the full entryOn a small and temporary slant away from the woes, whys and wherefores of Wellington’s wonderful wacky edifaces and erections, we’d just like to note that the Eye of the Fish has been nominated for a TAWA by our fast and furiously blogging colleagues over at the Wellingtonista. It’s a great honour – we’re not worthy – especially as Tumeke says we have slipped to position 84 in the NZ Political Blogosphere. Oh No! Slipping! We’re almost off the radar folks! Only you can save us!
But first: a Warning. This blog entry may contain pictures of a “Well-known Vegetarian”…
read the full entryThe Basin Reserve: do you want Flyovers with that?
I can’t believe that people are seriously thinking about this awful proposal. There is a meeting next week to organise a group against this throwback to the 1950s, at St Joseph’s church, on 25th November. Read more about it here. Meantime, those that are in favour (hands up Mayor Kerry and the Transit crew), should ponder this: Newmarket viaduct in Auckland has been transporting cars overhead since 1965, and is about to be enlarged via a total rebuilding, at massive cost, to achieve a single extra lane.
Recently…
Thanks to the very friendly and amenable Wellington City Council External Media Advisor, Richard Maclean, we’ve been able to bring you some further info about the proposed new expansion to Johnsonville Mall. Now that’s what I call a helpful public service. So, to recap since our last message on Johnsonville, although the Council is still deciding whether it will publicly notify the scheme or not, the project is available for public view anyway, and as part of that we thought it would be helpful for you to see some of what is being proposed. Especially, no doubt, if you live…
read the full entryJust in case you need a reminder, the Schools of Architecture and Design at Victoria, Massey, and Weltec are on now in the Capital, and are definitely worth a look. Some fantastic presentations to view in the Schools, unveiling some major new talent bubbling up from the student world.
School of Architecture & Design, Victoria University (the Red building, Vivian St) Final Year Degree Show: open for one more week.
Massey University School of Art & Design – Exhibition : Blow.08 – open from November 7 – 22, at the old Dominion Museum building.
WelTec final year…
read the full entrySo: New Zealand has spoken, and we have a new government about to form. Aunty Helen, head of the world’s first largely women-based government administration, has been axed by the voters, and we are about to go back to a far more male oriented, traditional, white middle-class form of government under the tutelage of John Key. While I lament the lack of any signs of inspiring leadership in the election run-up, in sharp and pointed contrast to the reborn USA electoral scene, the resignation of both Clark and Cullen show that they know as much as the public seem to…
read the full entryAmazingly, the weather held off enough for a perfect evening for another great Fireworks night.
Photo courtesy of Jake Faulkner on Flickr. And Wellington’s best comes out on Guy Fawkes night, as the waterfront fills up, the roof parties get going (neighbours greeting each other from their Mt Victoria rooftop locations for the first time again since last year), and Oriental Parade opens up their expensive sea views and we get to see them instead. But possibly never before had the notion of celebrating Guy Fawkes Day seemed so inappropriate, so English, so totally pointless. So why do we…
read the full entryYesterday’s DomPost headlines said it all: “Second Minister caught in Fish Cash Scandal.” Or some such – the story has disappeared from DomPost’s website already, although Peter Dunne’s rebuttal still remains.
We hasten to add that of course, this Fish Cash Scandal has nothing to do with the Eye of the Fish, and that our electoral integrity remains unimpuned in New Zealand. Although, it does give us a good chance, on the eve of the US election, to run this delightful picture, of a soon to be Ex-President. Thank goodness for that.
Seems kind of apt for our…
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