I have moved

Kia ora

I’ve moved to a new blog home Episodic Table.
Come and visit me there for Christchurch photos and more stuff.

Donna

 

The door is open but nobody is home

Back on 7 April I tweeted:

In Christchurch, when the doors are open it doesn’t mean anyone is home & it probably means the home soon won’t be here.

I linked to this photo:

And today (16 April) it was true for 849 Colombo Street and its neighbours, only the pretty fuschias and the fence still on show.

 

It’s a brutalist brutalist brutalist world

As the Dorset Towers are now rubble, and the Crowne Plaza skeletal, The Press has looked at Warren and Mahoney’s work in the article Quake destroys architects’ legacy.

I lived very much in the belly of the Brutalist beast – living around the corner from Sir Miles’  first significant work -  the Dorset Street flats – and working at the Central Library.

Once before the earthquakes, I contemplated tracking the Warren and Mahoney universe I saw each day – Dorset Street Flats, Dorset Towers, their office on Victoria Street, the Crowne Plaza, the Town Hall, the Central Library.

I can’t say that I loved the style – but the monumentality of it makes that redundant. These are strong, grounded buildings, claiming the space with purpose. The Town Hall I think is the apotheosis of their style  – the luxurious interior and soaring spaces work with  brutalist elements to make a successful marriage.

• Article on Warren and Mahoney on Christchurch Modern
• Warren and Mahoney buildings on Christchurch Modern
• Christchurch City Libraries page on Sir Miles Warren

Crowne Plaza

Dorset Towers

 

Knights in white satin: Sister Jukebox

Colour me amazed that there isn’t a band called Knights in White Satin. There damn well should be.

You need this song in your life. It is OTT pop bombast at its apotheosis:
Nights in White Satin: The Moody Blues.

My sister’s imaginary video for this song might well include Michael Fassbender in a suit of armour. And, for a dash more music video literalism, some rolling round on white satin sheets.

 

The Wire(s) – Christchurch edition

On the site of the old part of the Caxton Press.

Caxton Press

The site of the Copthorne on Durham

A wall in the Re:Start mall

By the Amuri Courts, Durham Street

123 Victoria Street (Pacific Brands)

123 Victoria Street (Pacific Brands)

123 Victoria Street (Pacific Brands)

Bealey Avenue

 

22 February 2012

I’ve been more visual than lexical recently. So in the spirit of working what what you’re working with, here’s a photo essay of Wednesday 22 February, beginning and ending with Edgeware. The full set of 177 photos is on Flickr:

 

Sister Jukebox goes biggie bigs

This. Because I adore Dan Black. and HYPNTZ  is Biggie big. Plus we both loved that Notorious movie about Biggie too.

Need you now by Cut  Copy

And Midnight City by M83 because it is an epic swoonfest, possibly my song of the year. And yeah it has sexyphone break. Listening to this while looking at Christchurch quake damage is quite overwhelming, especially when they say “The city is my church”

For my sisterbella xxx