Rog on Beauty
Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.
I’m not a fan of the term ‘petrolhead’. With the new fuels on the scene, The terms should include ‘dieselhead’, ‘electrichead’ or even a ‘hybridhead’. I prefer to call myself a ‘car-culturist’. And it’s with this hat on that I was driven to visit the last ever round of the methanol-blend fuelled V8 Supercars, on […]
A tale of two cities
Last week, inspired by John Key’s ambitions, I caught up with Australia. Or to be more precise, Melbourne. It’s been said that Auckland and Sydney are hedonist sisters, whilst Wellington and Melbourne are more the Brontes. Physically, whilst one city may one day shake itself to bits, and the other may burn to the ground, […]
A walk around the Red Zone
On March 9th I had to give evidence at a frustrating planning hearing in Christchurch. Afterwards, and to escape the confines of windowless Hearing Room No 2, I went for a long walk around the red zone. Its still very secure courtesy of Health and Safety official-dom and the prospect of still-unemptied ATM’s. Anyway, here […]
Conference inspires
Following the successful and enjoyable 2011 conference at Auckland’s Sky City, I was full of anticipation about this year’s conference. But it got off to a good start simply by being held in Gordon Moller’s recently completed ripply-roofed , sparkly glass jewel box Viaduct Events Centre. Moller has finally shed Wellington’s Queens Wharf Events centre […]
Walden’s Triumph
During the hustle and bustle of the pre-Christmas social season, one of the stand-out social occasions for me was to celebrate the work of one of our country’s outstanding educators. Dr Russell Walden, a long-time staffer at Victoria University’s School of Architecture, has clearly been making the most of retirement. In December he launched his […]
Farewell Carmen
I would like to add my personal tribute following the recent death of Carmen. As well as being Taumarunui’s most famous export, she needs, in my view, far wider recognition for her policies as a candidate in the 1977 mayoral election. We designed a café for her in Dixon St. that was refused a licence […]
In memory of Centrepoint
The book ‘Why Buildings Fall down’ by Matthys Levy, Mario Salvadori and Kevin Woest, suggests that ‘gravity gets all buildings in the end’. Of the original seven wonders of the world, only one, the Great Pyramid of Giza, is still standing. The reason is perhaps, that with its sloping sides, it could be considered pre-collapsed. […]
Maori Architecture
I confess to being a late starter in learning about our indigenous architecture. Growing up in suburban Hamilton was an impediment. Two years ago I had my first real functioning marae experience. It was an occasion of great sadness – a tangi for a fine young man, at Tu Teao Marae in Te Teko. But […]
Children are our future
My grandson is expressing an architectural interest. I have to say Lego rather than Kevin McLeod. For his recent 8th birthday, I gave him two introductory books on the subject. I am not expecting him to grow up to be an architect but on the card I wrote: ‘These books are not intended as propaganda, […]
