The WCC Long Term Plan has proposed a re-design of the 1992-designed Civc Square; part of a project to Revitalise the Civic Square precinct which includes a national music hub, and an earthquake strengthened Town Hall. The plan describes a re-thinking of the squares connections to the CBD: “Upgrading Civic Square and improving links with surrounding streets … Possible “opening up” of building groudn floors so that cafes and shops can open on to the square, and people can more easily see into the square from surrounding streets.” A plan? and what about the City to Sea bridge – in this proposed context should it stay – or should it go?
JOIN US on Friday 22 May 5.10pm for our online discussion about potential futures for the City to Sea bridge as part of our virtual launch of our givealittle site to fundraise for our involvement in the Basin Bridge High Court Appeal opposing NZTA.
Featuring: Gerald Blunt, Dale Fincham, and Guy Marriage.
Submissions on the first (for what seems like a very long time) notified Resource Consent – the proposed Airways Tower – are due on Friday the 29th March. The application is to “construct, operate and maintain a new 32.5 metre high air traffic control tower at the Airport Retail Park on Tirangi Road,” on a site that is potentially contaminated. The Assessment of Environmental Effects states that the proposal achieves “good urban design principles” and responds to the surrounding environment, and has a “sense of movement” through ” a unique profile …”.
The tower design: “embodies a simple statement about Wellington’s well known wind prone environment. It does not shirk from addressing the wind, physically and metaphorically, and in doing so it makes a poetic response to the situation in which it sits.” So what do you think? How does (or should) urban design work in this seaside suburb? Should all of our buildings lean?
JOIN US on Friday 22 May 5.00pm for our online discussion on the proposed Airways Tower as part of our virtual launch of our givealittle site to fundraise for our involvement in the Basin Bridge High Court Appeal opposing NZTA.
Featuring: James Fenton, Peter Wood and Christine McCarthy
In April this year, the National War Memorial Park | Pukeahu was opened. It was formally blessed on Wednesday 25th March, following which the site was host to numerous public events. The park, formed above an undergrounded Buckle St (now Arras tunnel), was speedily built to meet the centenary of ANZAC Day. So what kind of public space is it? How importance is it as a national public space? Is this a design which will influence our future public spaces to come?
The mundune-looking Earthquake House has been with us since Te Papa opened in 1998. It simulates an aftershock of the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake; the original quake being a magnitude 6.6. No doubt most parents (uncles, aunts and grandparents, babysitters …) have been dragged to the Earthquake House by shorter people. It’s now proposed that it be replaced with new exhibitions “integrated with new digital museum experiences.” Sounds exciting, but this end of an era is perhaps a good time to reflect on the joy and terror that the Earthquake House has brought to millions of children over the last 17 years.
JOIN US on Friday 22 May 4.40pm for our online discussion on Te Papa’s Earthquake House as part of our virtual launch of our givealittle site to fundraise for our involvement in the Basin Bridge High Court Appeal opposing NZTA.
Featuring: Alannah (age 5), Ben (age 8), Lewis (age 5) , and Rose (age 5 and a half)
For those of you for whom it’s been a while since you were in the earthquake house, here’s a 2min video of the experience inside …
It is more that obvious that housing affordability is now a perennial topic. The relatively new distinguishing of “affordable” from “social” housing is also becoming common place. Houses have long been important projects for architects. In Wellington, the WCC’s rejuvenation of its social housing stock has meant that locally we have an increasing awareness within our architectural community of contemporary issues pertaining to housing.
JOIN US on Friday 22 May 4.30pm for our online discussion on Affordable Housing as part of our virtual launch of our givealittle site to fundraise for our involvement in the Basin Bridge High Court Appeal opposing NZTA.
Featuring: Nigel Case, Dennis Chippindale, Sam Donald, Sam Kebbell, and Mark Southcombe
