aucklandista.com » Buildings

Go hang in Grey Lynn?

Jo Hubris — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 09:21:18 +0000

There’s a great big bloody hole in Grey Lynn. It was supposed to be developed, but it hasn’t been, so instead it’s just lying around being a crappy eyesore. But now there’s ideas afoot about what should be done with it – perhaps turn it into a Hanging Garden? Sounds like a plan to me. If you agree, check out the facebook group. Sure, Facebook groups don’t actually ever do much except add another sentence in to lazy news reports from lazy journalists, but it can’t hurt, can it?

Last century, we all went to this place a lot.

dimsie — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:58:02 +0000

This Saturday, I’m seeing The Black Keys at the Powerstation. It’s only $55, and there are still tix available. (I am, tangentially, disturbed that I’m using the words ‘only’ and ‘$55′ together in a sentence. I am old and bourgeois.) I haven’t been to the Powerstation for several years, since the Kings Arms became The Smallish Venue Where It All Happens, but back in the 1990s it seemed as though I went there every week, and not only because they never looked twice at my dodgy fake ID. I’m not the only one overcome with nostalgia: there’s even a Powerstation in the 90s Facebook group, with a startling 104-strong membership, and 32 shaggy-haired stripey-teeshirted photos uploaded. How sweet. I wonder if it will seem bigger or smaller to me than it used to? One thing is certain, though: it doesn’t matter what they do to the building facade, because it will always look dated and dodgy.

Now that’s what I call advertising!

Richard Irvine — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 05:33:20 +0000

Is this billboard on Freeman’s Bay’s Drake Tavern:

A. Another really excellent trick by a top Auckland ad agency?

B. First sign of an NCEA-induced apocalypse?

C. Lion Nathan reaching out to the displaced-Wellingtonian market?

D. The handiwork of a devil-may-care graffitti artist who forgot to write ‘drink’ first?

E. Erm, none of the above. Any ideas, team?

An unorthodox campaign

Jo Hubris — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:38:22 +0000

I received this email today from Robbie:

“Being that the Aucklandista is a blog about Auckland, it naturally has to obsess about real estate, and since everyone in Auckland works in advertising, it has to obsess about that too.

My mate (Jono Aidney) has created a rather unorthodox real estate ad to find a suitable buyer for his parents’ house in Whangaparaoa. It’s getting a mention on Campbell Live tomorrow, so beat them to the punch!”

So here we are, scoping Mr. Campbell. Serves him right for turning down our invitation to MC the Wellingtonista Awards…

There’s a fine line between best and worst, apparently

Jo Hubris — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:41:49 +0000

So, IGNITE Architects want you to tell them what the best and worst buildings in Auckland are.

The survey is supported by Ignite Architects who want to have greater public discussion about the development of Auckland. Ignite Architects is passionate about good design principles and creating environments that allow people to thrive. This philosophy emanates throughout all of their work, from commercial and residential, civic to resort.

It’s interesting to note that a couple of the buildings that they offer up for suggestions are also hotels that got bad reviews from us – perhaps as bad building examples, but they’re not marked as such.

What’s even more interesting to note is that presumably IGNITE is trying to tell us that they’re all about good design, but I found the site bloody hard to figure out. If you want to vote for a building as best, you need to bring it up large, then spot the greyed-out medal in the top left-hand corner of the window, then click on that to move on, and if you mistakenly select one, the only way to clear it is to vote for another. And then you get to choose the worst building, represented by a rainy cloud. Of course! It all makes sense. Oh no wait, no it doesn’t. While it’s an interesting idea (that has been done before in another city), it’s terribly executed by Seven “Visual Communications”. Perhaps it’s a case of “Those who can’t, poll”?