Author: AC Admin

  • Memorial Parkway

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    As slow as government departments move, when they really want to move fast, they can. Free from all the hassle and moans and gripes of legitimate public concern, such as the Resource Consent process, the Building Consent process, an Archaeological dig etc, in order to get the Memorial Park complete by April 2015, a new…

  • The Destruction of Christchurch

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    I don’t think I have ever been as appalled as I am appalled right now. Christchurch is – it is hard to put this into words – Christchurch is a disaster zone. A monumental blunder. A series of giant mistakes one after another. An appalling bureaucratic mess. A system out of control. An unnecessary destruction…

  • Nooks and Crannies nominations closed

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    Nominations have now closed for the Nooks and Crannies competition! Thanks to everyone who contributed – certainly got us thinking more about our city’s celebrated and shamed spots. Image a completely random montage of nominations. From here, we’ll create a shortlist of 4 best and 4 worst and put them to a public vote. Watch…

  • Urban Nooks and Crannies – Nominations Please

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    — Closing date for nominations now 28th September. Keep them coming in the comments! — The Architectural Centre is pleased to announce its next ‘best and worst’ competition – Wellington’s Best and Worst Urban Nooks and Crannies. Back in ’07, Arch Centre ran a similar competition, pulling specific buildings into the spotlight. The Dominion Post…

  • a smugly hermetic milieu…?

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    A most intriguing and bizarre diatribe has appeared in the English newspaper The Guardian, normally a paper known for its careful and thoughtful dissection of architectural themes and discussions. Yesterday, however, it printed a page or two out of a book by Jonathan Meades, now available to buy: “Museum without Walls”. I’m not that keen…

  • Memorial Park

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    The Prime Minister has announced today that the Memorial Park is to be a Park, and not a motorway. Hooray for common sense, good taste, sensible planning, appropriate responses, and joined up thinking. There has evidently been a fair bit of quiet contemplative thought going on

  • Olympics

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    If fully a sixth of the world saw the opening spectacular, then there is a good chance that one building is going to stick in people’s minds about this Olympics – the grand central stadium. Looking resplendent on opening night with a green and pleasant Hobbiton at its core, giant inflatable brick chimneys, five glowing…

  • We Had Better Build Better Buildings.

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    “Built like a brick sh*thouse” was once a phrase used to describe an indestructible building.  Following the Canterbury earthquakes, the phrase was modified and is now used to describe poor buildings: “Built like a sh*t brickhouse”. Most modern commercial buildings performed very well in the Canterbury quakes.  Typically constructed of reinforced concrete, these buildings were…

  • The theoretical side of academia

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    At Arch Centre, we’re always looking out for ways to making you think about Architecture. Some people practice architecture, others build architecture, while most people just get on with living in it. A select few go about photographing architecture, while another select crowd attempt to teach architecture. Everyone wants a slice of this very delectable…

  • RIP Peter Beaven

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    We’ve just heard the sad news that Peter Beaven passed away last night. Beaven came to speak to the Arch Centre last year, and we felt privileged at the time to be present. Not only were we amazed at the power of recollection of this 86 year old architectural power house, able to skillfully recall…