Auckland is a city with great harbours, or rather, is a couple of great harbours in search of a city. When we finally take the city down to the waters’ edge more fully this place is going to become really delightful to to visit and work in, but also extremely photogenic. Personally I think the real coming of age will be the international coverage we’ll get from Skypath. NZ has wilderness, now it needs to add to that image with urban sophistication along side the natural beauty….
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Stunning angle great photo. You must be an expert ?
Yes Patrick is a professional architectural photographer, among other things.
Just NZ’s best architectural photographer!
pity for the lamp post. a bit of photoshop, no?
No too tidy, gotta have a bit of ugly…..
I’m all for imperfection; Wabi-Sabi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi
Yes Auckland has 3 great harbours.
The administrative region touches three great harbours. The city as an urban place borders two of these.
I think we can actually still dramatically increase our appreciation of our natural beauty, while improving the built and cultural form. Large parts of Auckland are cut off from the harbours they are immediately adjacent to, by industry or by roads. In other places, the links and paths that would need to be built or enhanced are weak or absent. The Manukau is a prime example of both of these, to the extent that it’s easy to think of it as merely the ‘place beside the airport’.
Or Onehunga which on one side they’re attempting to repair the severance caused by the motorway destroying the harbour’s edge, and on the other plans are afoot to repeat the same mistakes turning the harbour’s edge into another motorway thanks to the East-west link.
One of the reasons the local groups are so pro motorway is they think they will get a similar restoration on that edge too. It’s a bit like the situation where we have to build a motorway to get a cycleway
While most people can agree on the natural beauty, agreeing on the “beauty” of the modern architecture we are delivered is another thing!
Yes taste is subjective, but the carelessness with which we have framed the natural environment that hosts our cities over the last 60 or so years is the over riding theme, and while this is indeed a question of values and aesthetics, it is not a question of personal tastes.
So how do we re-frame the conversation that will shape the future?
Is that not an oxymoron? It’s a question of “values and aesthetics” but not personal taste? That suggests there is a more objective way of assessing good urban design, of which architecture plays an incredibly important part. In this area there will always be some subjectivity and I think that’s a good thing.
You say oxymoron I say subtle difference. I do have fairy strong views on the appearance of things, especially in the built environment, but am firmly not wedded to one style or period. In fact it is my view that the best of every period is equally valuable; whether Victorian, Brutalist, Minimalist, Rocco, whatever. So it’s not a case of this or that being the answer to every situation but rather how good that particular example is. So it’s still an quality evaluation but not a personal taste one.
Contrast this view with those who claim that their pet style or period is always the answer. This is how we got a failed tram system at Wynyard Quarter for example, because Mike Lee has a monotonic taste for heritage transport artefacts, And this occluded proper evaluation of the proposal. The same thinking looks like it may be adding cost cost and complexity to the Parnell station too in the reuse of the old Newmarket Station building [but I haven’t seen sufficiently detailed plans yet].
Stunning photo Patrick.
Auckland is stunning – but what are its attractions. I mean that from a visitors perspective, if you were to visit Sydney for the first time I’m sure you would be thinking ” Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Bondi etc” Barcelona would include ” Gaudi’s art , Sacra Familia, Las Ramblas ” All other major cities have similar buildings, places or aspects of the culture that are short hand for the city. I love Auckland I came here in 96 and remain here but we do lack a story.
Exactly. A great place to start is to reconnect to the waterfront. But not like Viaduct Harbour or Princess Wharf, which are all commercial and no amenity. Wynyard is heading in a better direction, and the proposals for Quat St and across to the wharves are looking good too. Skypath is obviously fantastic for this too…. much more to be done, especially architecturally.
Skypath will be quite cool, but you’re dreaming if you think it will get much international coverage. It’s just a foot and bike path over a bridge that nobody outside NZ would recognise. Nice for those of us that live here, but nobody else will care. Not that that’s a problem.
One of the weirdest things about NZ is this strange obsession about what the rest of the world thinks of us. The fact is, nobody much cares, just in the same way we don’t care much about Norway for instance.
Actually when I went to Sydney walking the bridge was number 2 on my list to do after Bondi. Our Harbour is far more beautiful than Sydney’s and will I think be a major attraction to Auckland.
Nick, I’m not that interested in what foreigners think of NZ, but I am interested in Auckland’s position as a contemporary and dynamic city (or not) in the region as that has an enormous impact on our city’s economic prospects. Also I work in media I do understand how even small projects or changes can freight big ideas. I see Skypath as the project for shifting Auckland’s image as a sleepy backwater to a place changing into a great little contemporary city: it will get great coverage.
The view enjoyed by the residents of Stokes Point is pretty amazing – it wont be shared by Skypath – because that project will never pass feasibility studies. Fortunately Aucklander’s can enjoy a similar view from the comfort of cars and buses as they are driven over the bridge
I already has passed feasibility studies Phil.
As of today there has been no feasibility study completed.
Didn’t you guys know that Phil is more qualified to comment on the structural feasibility of the structure without seeing any plans at all than any actual engineer anywhere.
Oh poor Phil; your sad attempt to keep Auckland just a little bit shit all the way from the UK isn’t working no matter how many silly letters you write to old George and other North Shore Torys, they got trumped:
‘Mr Key said he was also keen to get a cycleway across the Auckland Harbour Bridge.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11320138
Another reason why NZTAs criteria need a major overhaul! They are out of step with public opinion and need to just get out of the way on this project, rather than coming up with more bureaucracy.
Walking: ‘infeasible’ haha
Point Resolution Bridge has won this year’s International Architecture Award.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11324941
Wow and just a few months ago this bridge was being criticised for being located in a wealthy, attractive part of town. On this website, no less! How fickle thee be.
Skypath? Oh for sure. Just throw more money we don’t have at it. Nevermind our ballooning debt burden, right?
Or just trickle a few of the dollars that we have that are being wasted on motorways too it.
How much funding for Skypath will come from Auckland Council?