October 9, 2007

Move over Sky Tower – Auckland’s About to Get Another Iconic Building

Some of Auckland’s well known architectural heavyweights will be stirring up some controversy next week (Sunday, October 14) when they build large scale models of an iconic building to take pride of place in a yet to be disclosed topical Auckland waterfront location.

The Iconic Architecture Exhibition, which is just one of a number of events being held as part of Architecture Week Auckland 07, will see six Auckland architectural firms face up to the challenge of designing an iconic building for Auckland’s hotly contested waterfront that will rival Sydney’s Opera House and Paris’ Eiffel Tower.

The large scale models, which must be at least 1m by 1m in size, are intended to provoke a “what if response?” from the public.

Says Architect Richard Goldie, organizer of the exhibition: “We all murmur about Auckland having its own Sydney Opera House – an iconic building located on our waterfront - but are we as Aucklanders ready for such a gesture?”

Goldie says the exhibition aims to generate a broad, provoking and engaging discussion amongst the Auckland public, to test their response to the idea.

Architects will have just one day to design and build their models, which will be displayed outside Auckland’s Britomart Pavilion for the entire week. They will be briefed at 9am on the day of the build (Sunday, October 14), and only then will they find out the buildings intended location. They have until 4pm on the same day to complete the model in-situ at the Britomart Pavilion.

If that’s not enough pressure, in addition to building the conceptual models, teams will also have to present a design statement outlining their design, which Goldie says “should be interesting.”

“It’s going to be a challenge for the architects as iconic buildings by their very nature favour form over function. Without a specific function in mind, the architects will have to stretch the limits of their imagination. I expect the public will be treated to some pretty spectacular and thought provoking designs.”

Architects will be provided with a base for their model to be assembled on and can only use one material in their design.

Says Goldie: “This will make for an iconic and certainly conceptual outcome, and will really test the creativity and skills of the architects and well as their vision for a waterfront icon.”

While the models will be on display for the public to view throughout the week, they will also be ‘photoshopped’ into the waterfront context, and available for viewing on the Architecture Week Auckland 07 website www.architectureweek.co.nz.

Architecture Week Auckland 07, which is being organized by the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) aims to get the public involved in celebrating the diversity and excitement of Architecture and Auckland and will be held from October 14-19, 2007.

Most of the events will take place in and around Auckland’s Britomart Pavilion. All events are open to the public and all (excluding the Steven Ehrlich lecture) are free of charge.

The Auckland City Council, Britomart, University of Auckland, AUT, UNITEC, Habitat for Humanity, Housing New Zealand, Stevenson, Holmes Consulting Group, EON, Babbage Consultants, Fletcher Aluminium, and the Green Council are among the community groups and organisations who are supporting the event.

For further information regarding the exhibition and Architecture Week Auckland 07, please visit www.architectureweek.co.nz

ENDS

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