So, finally today we had the news that we all knew was going to happen one day – that the Pink Council building (WCC’s CAB) is to be demolished and developers / visionaries are asked to submit bids and proposals for a replacement building and a Masterplan. After too many years of sitting round doing nothing, suddenly it is all go, and proposals are needed immediately….
Civic Square
7 Articles
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nemo
6 Min Read
This post was going to be called “New School of Music” but then I thought – no, hold on, this could really cause a stink. What if…? Is it? Was it? No, surely not. But maybe….? Who knows? I’ve just been alerted to the revised scheme for what was at one stage known as the new “School of Music” down by the Michael Fowler Centre –…
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nemo
4 Min Read
At the risk of raising the hackles of the designers of the revised Library design, who appear to have positioned an overly-large bedside table next to the beloved crinkly face of the Wellington Library, Te Matapihi, I’d like to explore the concept of “The Portal” a little further. I hope that you don’t mind. I used to call it the Portico, but I’ve been very firmly…
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Leviathan
3 Min Read
There are two ways of looking at the Civic Square debacle – the worst thing ever, or the best opportunity ever. You know which side I’m going to take! Wellington’s Civic Square, Te Ngakau, is / was / should be the capital’s pride and joy. Comparable in function to Sienna’s Palio, to Rome’s Piazza Navona, to London’s ummm, Trafalgar Square? Leicester Square? Soho Square? our Civic…
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Leviathan
3 Min Read
New Zealand doesn’t really “do” public plazas very well, in the overall planning of our cities: we’ve tried, but they really haven’t worked. Each city has one: Dunedin has the Octagon, Christchurch has Cathedral Square, Auckland has Aotea Square, and Wellington has Civic Square. Continuing on from that, Palmerston North has The Square, Napier has Clive Square, and most of the rest of our towns have…
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Maximus
5 Min Read
The demolition of the Portico in Civic Square is about to start soon, apparently. Is anyone going to miss it? Soon after it was first proposed to be demolished a year or so ago, a friend of mine (a prominent architect in town) received a phone call from someone who felt it was an outrage that it’s demolition be thought possible – but he wisely declined…
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Maximus
5 Min Read
Over on the venerable, hard-working Scoop site, Councilor Ritchie has posted a comment lamenting the possibility of the Athfield-designed “portico” (extension to the Wellington City Council buildings) being demolished: “The Portico provides an important “grand†“archwayâ€entrance to Civic Square, Civic Centre, City Gallery,Town Hall City to Sea Bridge and Waterfront. It is the entrance for many processions and marches, provides a welcome to our civic public…
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