OK – so today we have a look at the remaining sections of the Special Housing Accord areas, based in and around the central part of Wellington. There are, it appears, three remaining areas : the first, and biggest of these, is Te Aro. Te Aro is, to be perfectly honest, the growing residential heart of Wellington. Once – not so long ago actually – it…
Fish
1,098 Articles
12
1
Maximus
1 Min Read
As noted yesterday, there is also to be a SHA for Kilbirnie. Here it is: Now, can anybody tell me why that is the shape it is? Aren’t those the Council flats (top right)? And what is with the big area near the bus barns at the bottom? I’m really at a loss as to why these shapes have been chosen. Here is another area: further…
5
4
Maximus
4 Min Read
We have an Accord. No, not one of those big Hondas, that glide smoothly along the tarmac with the stealth of a ninja, but we – the Royal We – Wellington) have a Housing Accord, signed between the Government and the Council. They’re promising to play nicely together in the sandpit – Mayor Wade Brown will still be here after the election, and I’m assuming that…
4
1
Maximus
1 Min Read
The Governor-General, the PM and some other minor celebs had a wee jaunt through the new Arras tunnel the other day, only to discover a bunch of strange growths on the walls. Big, red, and very discular. Looks quite nice though… A friend of a friend sent through these photos later, which shows things off quite nicely. Taking the theme of Rememberance into a tunnel is…
31
5
Maximus
5 Min Read
Here at Eye of the Fish, we have written about cars before. We have written about trains before. We have written, in fact, about all sorts of transport before. We have even written about buildings before. But the one mode of transport that we have never really set sail on before, is the humble bicycle. You see, it’s an emotive subject – I have no idea…
9
2
Maximus
2 Min Read
Hooray for us! Wellington was indeed blessed last night, as the first evening of the Lux festival took off. The weather behaved itself (dark, no wind, and nearly completely rain free), the crowds of people roaming the waterfront and lane way enjoyed themselves, and the luminous artworks were superb. As they should be – Wellingtonians are used to festivals and know when to go out and…
12
3
Maximus
3 Min Read
Ancient Wellington property developer Mark Dunajtschik’s dilemma over the Harcourts building is in its final stages of legal action. I’d maintain that, while this is a tedious re-examination of all the evidence that has gone before, it is also one of the most important (in an architectural sense) cases that New Zealand faces, and will have important ramifications for the future of NZ’s past. And with…
10
4
Maximus
4 Min Read
When I was a young fish, helping my Dad stack the timber in the woodshed, there always used to be shiny silver slaters running for cover as we shifted the timber. I remember that on occasions, when loading the wood into the fire, a slater would still be marooned on a log as we placed it into the burning grate, and there would be a satisfying…
24
5
Maximus
5 Min Read
Buying the latest copy of Monocle the other day, as one of the few quality, intelligent, and witty magazines out there, I could not help but notice, once again, that Wellington does not feature at all in their list of the World’s Top 25 Cities for Quality of Life. Nor does it feature in the Economist magazine’s similarly titled list. Yet we know that Lonely Planet…
24
2
Maximus
2 Min Read
The Convention Centre proposal comments are due by the 8th August ie Friday. 14th August at 5.00pm. Here is my submission to Wellington City Council. The proposal to build a combined Convention Centre and Hilton Hotel is a good proposal for Wellington, and it should be encouraged to go ahead, with some strong urban design amendments. The good points about the proposals are that it is…