I’ve always been a fan of this painting: Carlo Crivelli’s painting of the Annunciation, with Saint Emidius, is an architect’s dream – a one-point perspective of stunning richness of detail and depth of colour. Dating from 1486, and held in the National Gallery in London, it depicts the town of Ascoli (in model form on the knee of Saint Emidius), as he chats about town planning…
I know it feels like it is last week’s news already, but I was looking through an old copy of the Third Edition of the New Zealand Whole Earth Catalogue in the weekend, and discovered this little gem: an article about the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter, before it was even called that. In those days, it was known as the Comalco smelter – still part owned…
So, it’s been a long time since the Royal Commission on the Canterbury Earthquakes released their findings, and the Government released their findings (which differed just a litle in a few key areas). Seeing as there is so much bad news going on at the moment, my guess is that the Government will do a major news release this week, perhaps even today, to take the…
In a slight break from normal transmission: watching Terminator 2 Judgement Day right now, just having seen Avatar again a few days ago. There is no comparison. T2 outclasses Av1 by a considerable margin. Better story, better script, better special effects, and better acting – incredibly so, Arnie’s wooden acting ability having finally found its rightful home. James Cameron’s recent conversion to New Zillun citizenship, and…
There have been hundreds of earthquakes, if not thousands, in the days following last week’s Seddonator (TM name courtesy of Eye of the Fish, conflation of Seddon and Dominator). A nice little wobbly number just then (11.10am) prompted me to go to the Geonet website and check – it was a 4.9 in the middle of the Cook Strait again – or, as Geonet say, 30km…
There is a wonderful publication out today with the DomPost, called “Wellington Success – Meet the Movers and Shakers”. Despite the fact that we all seem to be moving and shaking a little these days, it has some very good one-page articles advertisements extolling the virtues of those who deserve recognition have paid the advertising fee. I am amused / bemused / just generally mused over…
Looks like Luke’s Lane Liftshaft is likely to lay down after a long period of lonesome inactivity. Apparently it is leaning in an alarming manner – anything off vertical rings alarm bells in our vertically oriented city – and this last remnant of the 80s is due to be axed. Probably not before time too, but I’ve always liked the look of the errant Liftshaft, with…
Whilst I am fully aware that was a nasty series of shakes on Sunday evening, and indeed over the last few days, I’m very disappointed in the over-reaction of the media to this seismic event. RadioNZ reported that a building in Featherston St had a collapsed concrete facade – I don’t know about you, but I thought “Crikey! If a concrete facade can collapse, then what…
The whole Basin Reserve saga has, so far, been more of a tragic farce rather than a comedy, in terms of its public participation, and that doesn’t look like changing yet. The public have not felt inclined to really get involved, except for those who live on Mt Victoria and those who have a revulsion to concrete flyovers. The rest of the population seems to be…
I’ve done a quick google review and I believe what you are about to read is a true EYE OF THE FISH EXCLUSIVE! This week I’ve had the opportunity to go on site and look inside Shigerua Ban’s Transitional (Cardboard) Cathedral here in Christchurch, and I have to say what I’m writing weighs heavily on my architectural conscious. Since moving to Christchurch I have encountered a…