There’s a lot to say about Skycity’s planned New Zealand International Convention Centre and I’ll cover it in more detail soon. In the meantime let’s have some fun.
Yesterday the Herald published some images of what the convention centre could look like when finished with part of the convention centre towering over the old Berlei building.
The image reminded me a bit of a Star Wars Imperial Star Destroyer, something like below
Of course some have suggested that a Star Destroyer might be both cheaper and more useful than a barely used convention centre. Others had their own views of what it looked like, here are some of them.
https://twitter.com/gwynncompton/status/555104391934394369
@TransportBlog @nzdodo looks more like a early video cassette player and just as ugly.
— Handy (@westernbulge) January 13, 2015
@TransportBlog @MattNippert I reckon it looks more like a Sony Playstation 2
— Normie Bates (@fancylettuce) January 13, 2015
@TransportBlog @nzherald Thats a massive heatsink on top. Does it not have aircon?
— Reginald McGruffin (@Fox_Logical) January 13, 2015
. @TransportBlog @nzdodo amplifier heatsink http://t.co/v2CxAjkahQ #hotair #noise #appropriate
— Aidan (@allsumnull) January 13, 2015
So what other objects do you think it looks like.
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Just build a death star. What are they afraid of Luke Skywalker? Didn’t they have less carparks on both imperial cruisers and the death star? Crikey the dark side were more environmental consious than we are, even if they could destroy a planet in one go.
Death Star? Looks more like an attempt at death warmed up with a broken thermostat.
I’m with Foxy Logic on this one – that heatsink is awesome.
The building itself …. meh
The most noticeable thing though, is that is looks very unwelcoming, like an office block with no public amenity value at all.
They have no incentive to look nice on this side – they want everyone to stay inside, with direct access to the casino 🙂
That could be the most important point. That building isn’t going to warm the hearts of convention planners at all. There is too much good competition for whatever small Oceania convention market is out there. (Sorry, but I’ve done some convention centre design and feasibility work so I will have to be restrained so as not to write an nauseum on this blog.)
Totally agree, its another “me too!” product in a market flooded with “me too!” copies.
Big Heatsink? Yeah Nah.
Big Money sink – Yeah.
looks pretty bad, indeed. the green bay cheese hat reference was awesome, thanks for a good laugh!
The Sky City CEO had the cheek to say that without a taxpayer top-up, it would be a ‘half-arsed B-grade’ convention centre. Well, it already looks the part.
Oh, it’s full-assed enough. But it’s a grade Z building.
Where does the Hobson St ‘skybridge’ go?
Funny how the airbirdge now connects to their nice new hotel, not directly into the convention centre..
it’s not a bridge, it’s a pressurized airlock
gold
Funny quotes in the Herald article from the resource consent application: “”There is probably no conceivable asset that could be more effective in bringing life and vitality to the city,” says a report submitted with the application.”
A stupid hyperbolic throw-away statement found in every description of a big public building. Too bad the press and politicians are dumb as rocks and eat it up.
What’s with the abuse of politicians and journalists? If people make crap statements in their proposals, maybe it indicates the level of thinking that has gone into it.
Looks like a high end amplifier, just needs a volume knob or a big vu meter and we have the worlds largest av component.
Otherwise it looks Tacky and does not compliment the older building under it.
If it were a bit more Yellow, I would say that Vogons had arrived in Auckland :),
But for $400 million this is the best they could come up with !!! !!
Heck, Bilbao got its Guggenheim for less than 1/2 that….
The ideal venue for a Vogon Poetry reading.
I’m sorry to be constantly negative about NZ architects but my view is continuously reinforced. This is an abomination. The only saving grace is that it will make the other modern buildings downtown look good by comparison. With the world’s largest heat sink it looks like a massive utility box. Maybe the next Google server or a CIA installation of unknown purpose. And what a shabby way to treat the historic building. There are better ways, but NZ architects don’t seem to understand. If they’re at all serious about this, Council will take it out of Sky City’s hands (minimum investment, maximum profit) and hire a decent *non-NZ* architect.
Somebody needs to do a little comparables research and they will find out that convention centres around the world are shedding their blank walls and become architectural monuments. I mean *good* architectural monuments. Look at Pittsburgh’s for example. A metro area of comparable size and considerably poorer did a fine job with theirs.
I think this is a ruse, though. The actual design is going to be only a little better but everyone will say what an improvement it is.
And be very careful what you say about the Packers… Cheesehead hats are fair game, the team is another story.
“If they’re at all serious about this, Council will take it out of Sky City’s hands” – whatever makes you think Joyce will allow that? 🙂
Well, nothing really. I would bet that council would rather be a million miles away from the whole thing.
Stevenz I’m with you on both points.
Damn nz architecture ( in general) is toilet. Adding some extra stories that “match” what’s there already and perhaps “enhance” the whole thing is apparently not an option.
And don’t mess with the Packers, although not a fan, it’s impossible to hate the only team not owned by a billionaire*
*Lions, Bears and Vikings fans may disagree
(NFC Champ Game- Packers at Seahawks 9.05 am Monday)
According to the Stars Wars wiki:
“A single Imperial-class vessel cost the Empire…the equivalent of several star systems’ annual economic output.”
Given that the Earth is one-eighth of one star system, I’d say that the Sky City development is a little cheaper than a Star Destroyer. You should know better than to make wild economic claims about imaginary spaceships on the internet, the home of nerd rage.
Yeah but they were all slum-level star systems, with no real economic output to count, so 8 of them doesn’t match even 1 ugly building in one of our Earths smaller cities.
even I would support regulating casino slums out of existence …
So how much is a CRL woth then ??
Now it is clear. The government is funding the petroleum and gambling Empire. Give the rebel base both locations. This is Return of The CRL before 2020 in 3d. Someone needs to take out the deflector shield on top of the sky tower and someone needs to paint bus lanes. The universe is at stake.Is Steven Joyce Darth Vader? The plot thickens.
Politics of whether the thing should actually be built aside, that render is monstrous. I don’t think any person could consider that a successful development. Also; it’s in the heart of the CBD – why not attach some apartments or a hotel? Office space? Something!?
‘SkyCity Convention Centre Tower & Apartments’. The name has a lovely ring to it.
No it doesn’t.
A pile of sh*t is still a pile of sh*t, no matter colour you spray it, or name you call it.
They really haven’t done a good cosmetic job on that pig of a building.
The historic building is the only thing that looks any good here. NZ architects, still stuck in the ’70s (or ’50s?).
Is that a big vent slide on the side of it?
I really question the wisdom of making this post.
I know the post is pre-faced with “lets have some fun” but the comments have predictably degenerated into a hatefest against this development.
What’s the point?
the point of this post is to bait you, so that you then make an inane comment like this, so that I can then poke fun at you.
VICTORY IS OURS.
https://goo.gl/maps/7tiOu seriously, that thing will fit very well with the inviting facade of the brothel across the road. Even got the same heatsink!
How true. The architect obviously didn’t go far to get inspiration he just looked across the road. Well spotted.
the “architect” probably just drafted it with Google maps on the extended desktop.
Why do they only build a 2-3 storey building in city center? That is not a good use of land.
The existing building is clearly already ~4+ stories so this is in addition to that, ending up as many more than 2-3 stories.
A Virus, engulfing a cell.
Actually the architecture is actually imitating Sky City….
A Virus, with the architecture of an air conditioner…. paid by the taxpayer and with the price of desperate souls…
Copyright infringement?
https://www.google.co.nz/search?&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=quad+405+front&oq=quad+405+front
The idea of wrapping a $400-500m building around a Cat 2 heritage building is nuts. It compromises both. Either incorporate the designs better (draw inspiration from the old), or demo/move the old one and design something beautiful in it’s place.
Looks like the radiator in my computer! 😛