Rog on Beauty
An Architect on the Road
On November 11 2016 I was awarded the NZIA Gold Medal. I believe this is what you get for working 45 years of 60 hour weeks. I felt honoured. One of the things that come with this award ,as well as a very heavy round medal, is a book, and an enjoyable obligation to undertake […]
In the presence of a masterpiece
Every once in a while as I walk through a building that I have never visited before, I am overwhelmed by the feeling that I am in the presence of a masterpiece. This is what I sensed last weekend during a visit that was part of an architectural tour of Melbourne. Adding to the sense […]
Welcome to the past
I took part in a number of events last week for Architecture Week including this story which appeared in a number of newspapers at the beginning of the week. They were well organised, informative, and well attended events and which it was both a privilege and a pleasure to be part of the week. A […]
On Screen Architecture
This is a shout out for the Resene Architecture & Design Film Festival 2016. I suggest that you grab a copy of the excellent programmes and go see something that interests you. Miss M and I have been to three so far. First up, and the highlight thus far, was Strange & Familiar: Architecture on […]
RIP Zaha Hadid
Just last month I watched a film about the life and work of Zaha Hadid. The worlds most famous female architect was eloquent and compelling as she explained her creative process. She looked so well and healthy. I have come to expect great architects have longevity. Oscar Neimeyer went at 104, Frank Lloyd Wright at […]
Jack O’Brien’s Film – just released
Jack O’Brien’s Film – just released
An architectural review of the film festival
I missed the Architecture and Design Film Festival this year ‘cause I was doing some architectural photography of a different variety. So I eagerly sniffed out any architectural offerings in this year’s New Zealand International Film Festival. Life is too short to watch self-indulgent and depressing drama, so my programme was biased towards interesting and […]
Five Franks and a Phillip
I recently returned from mini sabbatical to the big USA. Naturally pilgrimages to iconic architectural houses were in order. I visited three Frank Lloyd Wrights and a Phillip Johnson, each open to the public and with highly informative guided tours. Top of the list was Wright’s iconic Fallingwater – well worth the four plus hour […]
URBAN ANZAC
A few years ago I attended an architectural conference in Melbourne. Students from the University of Melbourne School of Architecture conducted a guided tour by bus of their cities newest marvels. The Ashton Raggatt McDougall designed Shrine of Remembrance Visitor Centre, completed in 2006, was on their programme. It is a new insertion sitting below […]
Island Time
My memories of Waiheke island was that at the end of a ferry ride, I arrived at an escape from Auckland suburbia into a rumpled and lushly covered landscape dotted with kiwi baches. A paradise for alternative Aucklanders wanting to escape the city. Now it has been discovered by the wealthy. Its holiday character has […]
