Britomart

During my last year of architecture school, I used to always walk down to Britomart. It became a place of familiarity as I explored its 'new' form. In spite of the hipster/fashionista/high end vibe of the present, Britomart used to be a backend piece of the CBD. For some, it was the general vicinity of the Oriental Markets, an impression that floats in my childhood memories. For more recent visitors, back a few years Britomart was the site of a lot of carparking.

Today I won't talk so much about the range of eateries and shops around the Britomart Precinct as they have been reviewed and talked about ad infinitum. I focus on the unassuming, but bulk-consuming Westpac Building.

The building lies on the east side of Takutai Square, now a popular seating and events spot. An atrium cuts through the building from the main axis of Britomart, from the train station, through 'pop up' shops to the square.

Last year, I witnessed a transformation of this usually mediocre space into a full blown catwalk, descending from the stair case from the office blocks on either side. It was a range of shows put together for Britomart Fashion Sessions, recruiting most of the labels displayed in the precinct, such as Trelise Cooper, Juliette Hogan, Taylor and Ted Baker.

What I most enjoyed about this was that it was a publicity event that was a collaborative act: the sharing of the space and the prep areas (which no doubt belong to the large corporates that the building houses), the makeup by MAC, the group shows, the City Farmer's Market and bursting-to-full goodie bags. It is really a credit to the organisers for making the whole precinct buzz with their collective presence.

Streetwear show - Timberland, Onitsuka Tiger, Coucou, Neuw Storeroom, Federation

Taylor, Made and Ted Baker

Participation

Here's to my 300th post on Creative Collision! Thanks for all of your readership.

The public streamed into the exhibition this weekend, helped by large boat show happening next door. Non-architectural people readily engaged with architectural design with a workshop that was run over two days. In fact, some kids got so into it that they begged their parents to bring them to the second day!

The participatory design system is the brainchild of Tim de Beer, a Master of Architecture (Professional) student at the University of Auckland.

A 3-storey monopitch design by a 7 year old, created all by himself. Each floor is insightfully planned, too.

Working with the children and parents into imagining/designing space was an incredible process. It reminds us that a hands on approach to architecture can be so engaging to both clientele and architect.

And that's the end of Architecture Week 2013! For more of what happened see the Architecture + Women Facebook page. Look forward to it next year and for now I'll still be tweeting architectural things on Twitter.

Important

A message to the paparazzi by Benedict Cumberbatch, known to some of us as the 'new' Sherlock:

Benedict Cumberbatch to paparazzi: "Go photograph Egypt and show the world something important." pic.twitter.com/l0ADTHnZOU
— Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) August 17, 2013

Some food for thought as to where our photography/journalism talent is going or not going.

Brake

Brake House by Ron Sang

Yesterday I had the rare chance to tour the famous Brake House in Titirangi thanks to the Auckland Architecture Association. Designed by architect Ron Sang, a prominent Chinese New Zealander, the house was completed in 1976, before leaky building syndromes and building regulation reforms. The elegance of the house in Titirangi's signature wild naturesque landscape reminded many of American designs like Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater House.

Immediately upon entering the house, you felt the sense of attention to detail that encompassed the architecture of that period. The platform leading into the house had a precarious edginess to it. Eventually we figured it out - a lack of our standardised contemporary handrails. Any such feature (your usual 1m high, grabbable railing) would have destroyed the elegance of the design entirely.

Originally designed for Brian Brake, one of New Zealand's most famous photographers, the house includes a studio, dark room, cinema downstairs as well as plenty of glazing and platforms. As a Japanophile, Brake requested a tatami room (this is the glass box floating out into the bushes, shown above).

Incredible reflections all throughout the house, merging nature and architecture.

The architect Ron Sang came and gave us an intimate insight to the making of this house.

Visiting this house is such an inspiration, but as Ron Sang said, there is no way such a house can be built as it is now because of the many regulatory constraints. Back in the 70s, this building only needed 20 A1 sheets to document it - these days you would need at least 100 sheets marking the incredible change that the architectural profession has had over the years. The fusion of Asian and American design in the woodiness of Titirangi is an incredible feat though and, for those who afford it, it is currently up for sale.

Post-it2

A tweet from New York Times reporter Hiroko Tabuchi caught my eye. It was about a creative process that her husband was going through and tweeting about. Makes me want to have a post-it wall thinking process, too!

Husband planning out his screenplay on our wall. I shd do this w/ my stories RT ‏@yuichitazawa Laying out my scenes twitter.com/YuichiTazawa/s…
— Hiroko Tabuchi (@HirokoTabuchi) June 12, 2013

See other posts about creative uses of post-its: one of a wall for Mother's Day and another left by a creative barista.

Campus

So a bit of exciting news came through yesterday that the community at the University of Auckland was keenly waiting upon (at least for those who are clued on about their university). The university confirmed that they will be acquiring the old Lions Breweries site, a nice chunk of land still central in the bustling Newmarket. It gives so much opportunity for a fresh campus with high quality 21st century design. It may also mix up the configuration of departments across the campuses.

The university has a mix of building types at the moment. Clocktower and the buildings around it are the oldest, then the monumental modernist buildings (such as the science building), merging with the New Brutalist style (architecture building) and then some contemporary (the new part of engineering, Owen Glenn Building). The newest building to date I believe is the medical building at Grafton Campus, a pretty fresh design by Jasmax

The new medical school building which won an NZIA Award.

There is also talk of the university consolidating its landholdings toward the central campuses rather than having ones as flung out and disconnected as Tamaki Campus. With more connection to central facilities, hopefully there is more of a student culture around the wider university precinct.

Fall

Creative journalism.

All too often we hear about the slow but sure fall of the printed news media in the 21st century. While this is debatable as a phenomenon, digital media is readily growing into 'traditional' media. Traditional media has reinvented itself so much that the two are inseparable and the gnarled boughs of printed media is worked in with the temporality of social media, the internet and multimedia.

Today I saw a superbly made multimedia project by +The New York Times  reporting a story that really went to the heart of the story. Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek by John Branch reads like a novel at times in its composure and thorough research into its subject. Using current web design to integrate the multimedia components really helped with understanding the story which is epic in scale and tragedy. Fly-throughs of the mountain, simulations, videos and an assortment of bite sized supplements to the story really lend support to this feature.

The reporting for this article on the Feb. 19 avalanche at Tunnel Creek was done over six months. It involved interviews with every survivor, the families of the deceased, first responders at Tunnel Creek, officials at Stevens Pass and snow-science experts. It also included the examination of reports by the police, the medical examiner and the Stevens Pass Ski Patrol, as well as 40 calls to 911 made in the aftermath of the avalanche. The Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research provided a computer-generated simulation of the avalanche, based on data accumulated from the Stevens Pass accident report and witness accounts. Additional sources are: LIDAR data from King County GIS Center; Iowa Environmental Mesonet, Iowa State University; Mark Moore, U.S. Forest Service; National Avalanche Center.

As well as being a rare effort to report content that the likes of social media couldn't access, this project has an unusually long timeline. Keeping in mind that traditional media hardly ever breaks the news as news any more (that is if you utilise the hyperconnectivity of internet/social media), this is really breaking the box a bit - does traditional media, and its newer form on the digital platforms, allow this slow-cooked information to become a key part of its arsenal in the digital, fast-paced world?

A friend has an interesting observation. After reading the first line he immediately had the impression that it was a piece of fiction writing. Although the drama and writing is captivating, you wonder whether or not it is dramatised beyond belief. If only they put an acknowledgement of the real event and its seriousness before the drama kicked it. As you read on, each of the people's photos show up on the side, a nice touch that links it back to personal reality.

It could be said that only big media reputations could pull such a thing off. The sheer force of the name and the resources in the background offer a unique position to explore issues that deserve more than the double spread feature. And they look like they're milking this experimental format - an e-book is also available for purchase. It seems this media giant is treading a thin line, but which line is it?

Station

A delightful piece of proactive space-making took the opportunity of a empty bus stop in Brooklyn, Wellington. During refurbishment the council had removed the seating in the rather homey brick station. They didn't seem to return.

An anonymous local stepped up to the task and made it into a pleasant waiting space with a touch of the domestic.

Thanks AMidnightVoyage for the heads up on Twitter. For more pics and a bit of commentary, visit the original posting.

NZFW2

The first 2 days of shows at New Zealand Fashion Week has shown me that being a photographer at Fashion Week is hard work! Although I come back each day exhausted, it's offset by the experience of it all. Shows I really enjoyed were:

Hailwood

The lighting reminded me of an enchanted forest - matched with their mysterious Trojan horse logo, the setting really accentuated the clothes and their natural qualities. The ambience was spot on and the photographer's pit was spilling to all sides.

DMONIC INTENT

The first set at the New Generation Show, it really took the crowd's breath away. The looks were edgy, hardcore and suitably styled. It's a challenge - to typical perceptions of beauty, independence and strength. And challenge they did. They dominated the New Generation Show, showing something which we had not yet seen in Fashion Week, a strong stance which deviated from the blandness of the following acts. DMONIC INTENT will also be showing their more avant garde pieces at the Miromoda Show on Friday and taking part in the design challenge on Saturday.

twenty-seven names + Ingrid Starnes

I remember their debut a few years back in the New Generation Show of that year and they made a point of having effortlessly hip designs before being a hipster was even a thing. Having an off-site show at the Australis Room in the newly hip Britomart, the show was well set with a double arm catwalk and rustic brick-wood architecture. Ingrid Starnes offered some very clean designs with popping colours. A very fast paced show with lots of interesting movement throughout the stage.

Deryn Schmidt

Notice NZFW head honcho Pieter Steward leaning forward for a better look!

A really pumping show. A Wellington designer, she must have brought the fierce Wellington wind with her! A soundtrack of Florence the Machine in a half-daze chant brought the clothes to life. The clothes were full of feminine strength and character. 

Dojo

OPINION - The Hacker Dojo is a rather menacing name but in actual fact, it is a collective workspace for techies in Mountain View to do their thing, create start ups, conversations and great opportunities. It's where sites such as Pinterest took root, a place where innovation takes place. What could be better! 

Only thing is that the establishment is operating illegally and under fire from the local authorities, not for the work they do, but the building code infringements, mostly around fire egress and accessibility. Here, the worlds of creative tech and the age old limitations of architecture collide.

These code requirements (in particular the two mentioned) are strict for a good reason, but apparently to retrofit the old warehouse space to meet the code will cost more than what this organisation has available. Estimated to cost $250,000 dollars in upgrades (not surprising in the field of architecture and planning permissions), it's quite unfortunate to see such this community constricted by their shut down venues.

I hope there's a generous architect/planner who are helping them out pro bono and offer some expertise (makes life easier in these issues). Such spaces are valuable in how creative industries evolve, especially with the current trends in open source.

Help Hacker Dojo out - have a look at their website and cause. If you are interested in such spaces, or know of any, check out my previous blog post about collaborative creative spaces or leave a comment.

Women

Can you imagine a city exclusively for women? It may soon be a reality in Saudi Arabia where plans are being made for a city with no men, allowing women who want to seek a career to do so without breaking Islamic law.

I am unfamiliar with Islamic practices so I won't comment about the traditions that spur this development in Saudi society. However, it demonstrates the importance and struggle of fundamentals that underlie any city. With this marked example of providing facility to women to mitigate the strict rites and regimens of their culture, a unique step in urban planning is created that would probably not be witnessed in any other place.

At least in fiction, the notion of a womens-only environment isn't completely new. The ecofeminist novel The Gate to Women's Country by Sheri S. Tepper explores society where genders are purposefully segregated in a post-apocalyptic setting. The idea is drastic - at least for Western and other egalitarian cultures.

In a way, it is great to see such a strong will in urban planning come into play. Usually the hallmark of utopian thinking (ironically most which did not succeed due to the unrealistic idealism), has planning practice been dulled by a please-all, compromise approach? Although the gender separation probably wouldn't work in other cultures, Saudi's setting and resources could see something that works and may even change the culture in which this development sits.

Gibbs

Today I finally made it to Gibbs Farm with the team at Architecture for Humanity Auckland. As a NZ art aficionado, it was truly a highlight. Gibbs Farm is a sculpture park of sorts featuring an extraordinary assortment of sculptures commissioned by an obviously very wealthy Mr Gibbs. It brings art from famous sculpture artists from around the world and sets them in a very New Zealand context. The rolling green hills, the pure blue sky and the harsh NZ light brings together this fantastic collection.

Of course, as with all good farms, there are animals abound although these ones were more exotic specimens. Giraffes could be fed near the entrance, alpacas, turkeys, zebras, stags and more could be seen as you wander the site. Having an emu walk beside us at the Richard Serra was all a part of the experience...

Unknowingly embarking on the walk (read 'hill hiking') around the sculptures, one of my party told me there was a Maya Lin, in which I had a mini moment of excitement. And there it was (visible from the TOP of the hill). Renown for her landscape art, this is still under construction although it looks like they've lumped together enough dirt to farm a small town. The subtle interplay of proportions are the set for whatever this piece will turn into.

Most extravagantly sitting on the site, and most visible, was Bernar Venet's 88.5° Arc x 8. It was one of my favourites in the collection. It didn't sit on the site as much as it poised, dancing on the hilltop. Seriously, you can't see how the thing is supported. It is a fairly new piece. Corten steel is all the rage these days with architectural works by RTA Studio (eg Ironbank on K Road) being held up high. I actually saw some sculptures from Venet's 'arc' series at Wynyard Quarter (unless I'm very mistaken), and it was nowhere near as powerful as this. 

The most famous sculpture of the farm is Anish Kapoor's Dismemberment, Site 1. I'm a fan of Kapoor's work, the more intimate ones I've seen are, in my opinion, more effective. You felt like you were standing at lip of a giant ear drum and there was something disturbingly anatomical about it. A theme that ran through Gibbs Farm was the striking blue, red, green colour blocks created by a clear sky, red sculptures and the green hillocks.

Good old Len Lye created this Wind Wand and apparently the thing at the top is created by Eric Orr and emits forked electric sparks. Of course, on this fine day you see none of that and even the wind didn't allow us to see the carbon fibre in action. Not that we were complaining.

Have got to say, I am a huge fan of Neil Dawson. There's even one at the University of Auckland campus (Chevron) so I get to walk around it all the time. His work impresses me at every angle (excuse the pun). This piece is named Horizons and is a tangent from his other work. A master of 2D-3D manipulation, Dawson created this enigma that playfully imprints itself on our New Zealand sky like a Lichtenstein print. As we approached it we wondered: is it 2D or 3D? This coming from a bunch of architecture people, we were all tricked by the illusion. You'll have to visit the farm to get the trick! This was one of my favourites.

A strange one was this chrome-like blob that shone from a distance. It actually floated around as we were figuring out what it was. Consulting the guide book, it was created by Chinese artist Zhan Wang, Floating Island of Immortals kind of summarises it quite well. Note how Gibbs really likes his ponds.

The king of giant sculture art, Richard Serra graced this farm with his great wall Te Tuhirangi Contour which was really stunning, even when seen from the entrance, eclipsed by the hills. I remember the first time I was taken back by Serra's work reading about Monumenta 2008. Mass and scale aside, the acoustics at certain points in the curve enriched the walk with some powerful echos.

I don't think I've had this much of an art orgy since visiting the Tate Modern in London. Needless to say, people, you have to go and visit this gem in the Kaipara Harbour. Just goes to show there are some really great things sitting in our backyard (or at least Auckland's backyard..) so turn off the rugby and see some phenomenal art! You can just imagine Alan Gibbs sitting in his enormous property soaking it all in but what a generous thing to share his contribution to the NZ art scene to the rest of us.

Visiting instructions are available on the Gibbs Farm website. Entry is free although donations to the Kaipara Harbour area are welcome at the door. There are open days once a month.