For the last two years since the demolition of the antiquated Wellington hospital, a massive construction has been taking place in Newtown, balanced on its giant rubber base-isolated foundations. Yes it’s too late to ignore it anymore – the hospital has reached a state of completion that, while still some way to go, affords us a chance to review the progress so far. After a number…
critique
6 Articles
Philip
1 Min Read
While vaguely in the political arena, I thought I would take a moment to help propogate a recently written address to the New Zealand Institute of Architects. The address follows on from the (relatively) recent Pacific Students of Architecture Congress, and details some of the problems surrounding the disciple of architecture that were explored by the conference. My knowledge on NZIA matters is fairly limited, so…
Maximus
3 Min Read
Just as the press is all about the coming end of the property market, and the apartment market crash in Auckland, another development appears on the horizon. Barrio is the latest high rise apartment building designed by architect Campbell Pope, interestingly just next to his previous work: the Bellagio. While Bellagio seemed a random choice for a name, implying an Italian background, Barrio seems outright wrong…
Maximus
4 Min Read
It’s a lonely life being an architectural critic in New Zealand. An art form that’s not so much dying as nearly not born at all, there are precious few who will stick their head above the parapet to comment on the equally few works of architecture we have that appear in the pages of the press. And it is a situation that is going to get…
Philip
4 Min Read
Today Wellington Airport unveiled the design for “The Rock” — an addition to the international terminal. However this is not just a simple expansion/addition, this is to be “New Zealand’s newest icon“. The $39 million project promises an array of improvements to the airport experience, having doubled the traffic capacity of the international terminal and added many new facilities. But the pragmatics of the user experience…
Philip
1 Min Read
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…
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