Island Life by David Slack

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Island Life: Mother, We've Been Goosed

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  • Hadyn Green,

    My friend just sent me this:

    "A proposal three years ago put a $100 million pricetag on building a 25,000 seat stadium there [Carlaw Park]. A 60,000 seat stadium would cost more, but significantly less than the $700,000 touted for the waterfront."
    - Straight from Stuff

    $700,000 for a waterfront stadium? Awesome. I'll take out a loan and build it myself!!!!!
    I'll own NZ sports!! Cha-ching!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • David Slack,

    Well now, I wasn't going to bring this up for fear of being accused of trivial pedantry, but there was also a somewhat symbolic srcewup in the Heart of Auckland City full page ad in the Herald this morning. To whit:

    LET'S BUILD SOMETHING WE CAN BE PROUD OF. LETS DO IT RIGHT THIS TIME.

    My inner Lynn Truss was very entertained by the missing second apostrophe. If you're advocating the care and attention to detail implied in 'doing it right', you might want to be a little less hasty in your proofreading.

    A trivial thing, I'll grant you, but the emblematic haste is one of the principal reasons I'm not enthusing over this.

    Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew Feltoe,

    Best laugh of the day I swear! I thought the cake-tin was a monster of uglifying proportion. Nice work, David.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 15 posts Report Reply

  • Gary Hutchings,

    It will be *very* interesting to see which option is finally chosen for this,although I suspect that "creating a legacy" will favour something on the waterfront,

    But the Govt will need to tread very carfully so they dont upset hordes of voters in Auckland, never looks good to be introducing road tolls to bring forward the western ring route, whilst finding new public money for a stadium that may only be full once or twice a year.

    The property spruikers must be drooling over getting their hands on the eden park land .....

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 108 posts Report Reply

  • Sarah Wedde,

    Looking at that I feel an overwhelming urge to go for a wee...

    Lower Hutt • Since Nov 2006 • 66 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    That's it! It looks like a bedpan. I kept thinking it was a squarish flat tyre, but who has square tyres?

    The Bedpan. The Caketin. The Bedpan. Nice.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Andre Alessi,

    Will it come with lions? I'd be all for lions...

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    I don't get it: are they actually proposing to clone a stadium from the other side of the world? Or is it just a case of "here's something vaguely similar to show that it would fit", and they'll work out the design as they go? I hope it's the latter, or Herzog & de Meuron should get their lawyers ready.

    The only thing that makes the simulation unattractive is that the Allianz Arena wasn't designed for the site. It's actually one of the more exciting recent stadia designs in the world, but a stadium for the Auckland wharves needs its own design.

    Then again, I think the caketin looks good, so what do I know?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    As for "property spruikers", I just hope that the former Eden Park land gets some proper medium- to high-density housing, not the squat little retirement village that got built on Athletic Park.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Doddery Oldfart,

    " How can I get rid of piles?

    Gently but thoroughly clean the affected area after each bowel movement.

    If you find the pain intolerable, try sitting on an inflatable ring -- shaped like a big donut -- "

    Piopio • Since Nov 2006 • 10 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Hold the phone. The PM is quoted on Checkpoint as saying things have "moved on" from the Bledisloe site. The speculation is now on nearby land, but surely Carlaw Park - and remember where you heard that first - must be under consideration too.

    Damn. There goes my vow to never agree with Cameron Brewer about anything.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hamish,

    Am I the only one who really doesn't care where it is, as long as we actually have one and it's close to a train station?

    Am I also the only one that thinks that Allianz stadium design rulez? Who cares if it looks somewhat like a bedpan (I've never actually seen one, so I can't say). The sky-tower looks a syringe, but we all got over it.

    The A.K. • Since Nov 2006 • 155 posts Report Reply

  • Raffe Smith,

    What Tom said. And yes, the Allianz design does rule, but why haven`t we seen an image from street level, how a pedestrian would experience it?

    The Allianz glows red when Bayern Munchen is playing, blue when Munchen 1860 plays, and white for Deutschland.

    Now, how could a stadium glow black....?

    I am not an IP lawyer, but does the photoshopped use of the stadium transposed onto the Auckland waterfront come under fair use? My gut feel is no, would an expert be able to offer their opinion here?

    I agree with what Gordon Moller stated (and drew) in the Herald last week (why are the expertise of architects so rarely drawn upon in these debates in NZ?). I seriously doubt that design & construction could take place in 5 years given the difficulties of the waterfront location.

    Mount Albert. • Since Nov 2006 • 40 posts Report Reply

  • Raffe Smith,

    ^^ Oh, I meant that the Allianz design rules as an abstract and technical architectural object, not in the context of the Auckland waterfront.

    Mount Albert. • Since Nov 2006 • 40 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Auckland has a really uneasy relationship with architecture. People seem to feel most comfortable if a building looks like a Greek temple, and if anything looks like it was built this or last century, it tends to confuse and worry people.

    I expect that no matter what the design for the new stadium is, almost everyone will hate it.

    There's a risk that the rush to build it will result in a shithouse design, but it might also mean that something remarkable might slip through the cracks and end up being built.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Sarah Wedde,

    Just out of interest, does Auckland have any buildings "built this or last century" that are really good? I'm asking in the sense that I've only been there a handful of times, all of them fleeting visits without any looking around time.

    My impression of much of modern architecture is that it seems to be derivative of earlier innovative work but without any sense that the architect/s has actually grasped what the greatness of that earlier work is.

    Here's hoping that you do get something remarkable and that the opportunity isn't wasted on mediocre design *cough*Te Papa*cough*.

    Lower Hutt • Since Nov 2006 • 66 posts Report Reply

  • David Slack,

    Just out of interest, does Auckland have any buildings "built this or last century" that are really good?

    Depends, Sarah.

    If you're prepared to accept early Twentieth Century, then I'd nominate the museum. And the Civic Theatre. And the Harbour Bridge.

    Can't say that I feel fondly towards either of the most notable recent erections, namely Sky Tower or Aotea Centre. Maybe the Britomart, which is a re-fashioning of a nice old building, might have its supporters, but I can see that withering away unloved.

    Oh - and the former Railway Station - another nice depression era piece of work.

    Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    The Metropolis Building. I love it.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    Would anyone be surprised to hear that the Allianz Satdium doesn't actually fit on Bledisloe Wharf?

    And that's without the carpark you're gonna need.

    Bledisloe Wharf is dead as an idea. So is Eden Park, let's move on to another site and quickly.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    Just out of interest, does Auckland have any buildings "built this or last century" that are really good?

    I haven't spent much time there in the last decade, so I can't comment with much conviction, but while I agree that there are few if any world-class C20 buildings in Auckland, there are some pretty good ones.

    There are a few office buildings in or around Queen St that aren't bad, like the Phillips Fox towers, the bronze glass Fay Richwhite building and that white elliptical one near the waterfront that recently won an "enduring architecture" award. Anything more recent I've only seen in magazines, but some of the new Viaduct buildings (like Stratis) are really good architecture, if not quite such good urbanism. And there are some indoor stadia in the suburbs and some recent additions to the university that look quite exciting in the photos, but again, that's all I've seen.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Rowe,

    IMHO, it is essential that any stadium in or close to the CBD *doesn't* have extensive parking facilities. What it needs is extensive public transport options (which costs money) to encourage people not to drive their cars into the city.

    Eden Park should only be considered an option if they spend another $320m on making sure there is a train service from Britomart, West & East that can provide park n ride facilities to the stadium.

    And if not Mt Smart, then Carlaw! Imagine the walk up from Britomart, then the travelator through the tunnels under Albert Park to a stadium nestled in a nice amphitheatre. Lovely!

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report Reply

  • David Slack,

    Seeing we have one link today to David Farrar that he's not wild about, I'll even up the scale with this one that endorses his perspective.

    Of the stadium he lists some valid concerns:

    *There is no agreement with the sporting codes on whether they would use the stadium
    * There is no agreement with the local authorities
    * There is no agreement with the owners of the land
    * The exact location seems to change by the day
    * There is no owner (such as the Trust in Wgtn) and manager for the stadium!!
    * There is no agreement on who will pay
    * There are no sponsors
    * There are no planning consents

    He also notes:

    Thinking back to the Wellington stadium, the proposal was negotiated with key stakeholders over many years. It was a long, tough process, but one which led to a good outcome.

    This really irks me also. "Iconic", "legacy" buildings don't tend to be conceived in a panic to meet a ridiculous deadline.

    Full post here.

    Oh - and a couple of other things. Why would we suspend the RMA for a footy game, when we won't suspend it to ensure the Auckland power supply?

    And this from Paul Henry: are we all happy to stick this thing on top of the site of the Rainbow Warrior bombing?

    Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report Reply

  • Gary Hutchings,

    It will be great to finally have the "options" out in the open today, so that we can actually see what is being floated,

    I hope that each option is costed and timed so we are comparing apples with at least some other form of pipfruit, otherwise it will come down to being a beauty contest,

    I do wonder why this was whole debate did not happening in the immediate aftermath of the announcement, given that the upgraded Eden park was what they (Rugby and the Govt) won this prize on.

    The whole, suspend the RMA for a rugby stadium, but you have to wait for power and new roads does not exactly bring confidence thou...

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 108 posts Report Reply

  • David Slack,

    Not PC also has a new post making a vigorous claim - with pics! - for Carlaw Park here

    Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report Reply

  • Felix Marwick,

    Very sceptical about the $497 million dollar price tag. If it's above water and requires substantial piling building the base will cost a hefty amount.

    If a main road roundabout costs a $500 thousand to a million bucks I can't see the sub-strata for the NZ Stadium coming in at under 200 million.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 200 posts Report Reply

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