It’s the start of a new decade (well, a month in already) and I got to thinking – what are the architectural achievements we’ve seen over the last ten years? Were they good for you? Or did they pass by in a miasma of non-events? Te Papa – always a contentious subject – is outside the 10 year cut-off (but even then, would it be nominated as one of the best architectural achievements in NZ?). We’ve had a decade of boom time, in which surely some architectural gems have been created. The NZIA has given literally hundreds of awards all over the country in the last decade – are any of them valid? Has there really been any architectural quality achieved? We’d like you to nominate your favourites inside NZ, from the last ten years. The more the better – and a few descriptive words why you like it would be good too.
The reason I ask is that I’ve just discovered a fantastic new blog, Mammoth, which I was alerted to via the fantastic Bldg Blog – which is my all time favourite. Mammoth has posted a fascinating new post on the best architecture… of the decade. Which means that due to US/European focus, we’re not even on the map. But should we be? Do we have the knife, with which to cut the mustard?
When you go to the Mammoth site, you’ll be intrigued at some of the answers. The net is spread wide – the definition of architecture is loose. We could do the same. Or maybe not? Perhaps, just to be fair, we should restrict this to non-residential buildings, so that sensitive folk in architecturally designed homes don’t get upset by people snooping over their fence. Unless, of course, you’re nominating your own home and don’t mind getting snooped. But I’m keen to see a roll call from around the country, from Invercargill to Cape Reinga, and all stops in between. Over to you….
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