Jul 242010
Feb 012010
A group of late night bar patrons approaches the back of The St James Theatre. Once one of the most sumptuously decorated cinemas in Auckland, along with nearby Civic Theatre, The St James is now nearly derelict. A monument to a bygone era, its seating and projection booths are gathering dust.
A couple of people relax on a piece of grass that lies between older buildings to the left, and new construction to the right, near Tyler Street. This whole area, that once contained a character-filled art deco bus terminal and surrounding curio shops, is being brutally torn to pieces in an attempt to “modernise” the city. Nearby, a 26 level tower has just been proposed by developers behind the historic Rose and Crown Tavern. A large sign on the front of the small building near the centre of the picture encourages prospective purchasers/developers to build a high rise building that will dwarf those on either side of it.
Auckland Electric Power Board
Architecture, Colour
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Jan 292010
Auckland City and the surrounding suburbs have several buildings belonging to The Auckland Electric Power Board that are Art Deco in Design. They can be found in various places throughout central Auckland. This particular one sits on the Eastern side of the beginning of Tamaki Drive, and was built, as the sign states, just after the Second World War.
Fosters Ships Chandlery
Architecture, Black and White
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Jan 262010
A sunset casts an early evening shadow over the front of Fosters Ships Chandlery. Fosters has been in this building since the early 1900′s, when Alex Foster began the business. Before that, it occupied a small office on Fanshawe Street, facing the waterfront, until land reclamation allowed buildings to be built further towards what we now know as the Downtown Shopping Centre and Viaduct.
Jan 252010
The surrounding buildings are dwarfed by The Metropolis, with The Sky Tower receding into the background. Conceived and commissioned by one of Auckland’s most prolific developers, Andrew Krukziener, and built on the site of the old Courthouse, Metropolis was part of his dream to create iconic landmarks in the city that would be more than just the allegedly functional housing towers that are now a blight on the cityscape.
Inspired by early 20th Century American design, amongst other things, Krukziener oversaw every minute detail of the tower that, while perhaps fulfilling his artistic ideals, would become looked upon as something of an economic disaster.
Despite its uneven past, and reports of some less than genteel tenants, the building is a testament to his stubborn determination to add something of value to the skyline.
Jan 212010
A young man sits on the side of the road at the far end of Mills Lane, during the early hours of the morning. This narrow street is lies parallel between Albert Street and Queen Street, connected to the latter just before this spot by a narrow winding staircase.
Jan 142010
An office building on Tooley Street, near Allied Work Force at Ports of Auckland, stands empty, windows closed. The Ports of Auckland areas have seen huge changes in the last twenty years, being directly opposite the rapidly redeveloping Britomart area. This building is a stubborn example of the kind of purely utilitarian design one might expect to see at the edge of a car wrecking yard or suburban industrial area.
Jan 122010
A young couple walks into the Men’s Public Restrooms at the top of Durham Street, underneath Albert Street. This is one of the many public restrooms that are open late at night around the city. I’m not sure why she had to accompany him, or why a third party went into the restrooms with them. Maybe he needed help with something, or was not feeling the best, or perhaps he needed her to be a “lookout” as he and his friend used the restroom. Or he needed his friend to be a lookout while he and she used the restroom. Maybe she needed to use the restroom and needed help from both men while she did so.
My Top Six Drinks!
Architecture, Black and White, Portrait
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Jan 092010
A man walks past “My Top Six Drinks”, one of the many stores of its kind to proliferate during the past few years. This one is in the old Theatre Centre block, opposite the Civic Theatre, that used to house the St. James Theatre and a row of video game arcades. Most of it is now dedicated to restaurants, kebab shops and tea houses like this one.