Auckland Architecture Week is over for 2009. A week of exhibitions, lectures, talks and walks occurred from 11-18 October. The architectural profession, architectural academia and the wider public participated in the various activities. Below is an account of the week by Susan Wills.

2011 is the next year for this biennial event –so watch this space. There will however, be discussion and celebration of architecture in the city throughout 2010 – particularly in the light of governance changes in Auckland and what visions are proposed for the newly integrated city.

We will use this site for listing of events as they are scheduled for 2011.

Auckland Architecture Week 2009  – a review

‘I hope there’s enough pie for you all.’ Sir Miles Warren’s closing remark in his lecture at Auckland University during Auckland Architecture Week reflected both the solid turnout at the talk, and his concerns about the profitability of the industry at a time when it is embattled by a number of stifling commercial and legal influences.

Certainly, now is a challenging time for not just Auckland, but New Zealand architects. A time when a large developer can produce television ads referring to architects ‘blowing the budget’; when national press overstate the legal challenges facing the architecture profession; when an international competition for a premier Auckland site gets relegated to a local governance issue. It made the celebration of architecture at Auckland Architecture Week more relevant than ever.

Economic conditions meant that 2009’s Architecture Week was conducted on a slightly smaller scale than on previous years. Yet despite this, there was an exciting and diverse mix of exhibitions, presentations, films and lectures across the week.

Opening night was launched with a particularly topical lecture by landscape architect Rachel de Lambert on city form. With a focus on understanding how Auckland’s landscape has shaped our city and how we can best preserve our remaining urban heritage in a useful and worthwhile way, de Lambert’s lecture provoked some ardent debate. At the other end of the week, Sunday’s building tour was clearly a highly anticipated event. Touring Ironbank, the Deloittes Centre, the Maritime Museum’s new Blue Water Black Magic Pavilion and the NZI building, the 60 spaces were fully subscribed over a week before.

Participants in Saturday’s Design Charette – won by the team from Architectus, with a special creative commendation going to the Jasmax entry – were effusive in their positive feedback about the day of speed design. The judges were likewise impressed, expressing their surprise and admiration at the quality of the designs produced over the eight hours. The day before, just along the road, the Cupcake Pavilion at Britomart was a huge hit, and sold out of cupcakes within several hours of opening, raising a substantial sum for the Starship Children’s Hospital.

For many, though, the highlight in terms of energy and numbers, at least, was TRANS_FORMers at Wellesley Street, the culmination of a semester's work by the three design schools – and which had a performance life of only four hours. The hundreds of people who trawled through this vibrant exhibition could only be excited by the inventiveness and vigour of the entrants. It was architecture crossed with performance art.

Three films showed at the Academy, a treat for those who were interested in sustainability, Frank Lloyd Wright, photography and modernism. A variety of exhibitions showcased everything from awarded Auckland buildings to international sustainable construction. And Saturday had a full programme of talks across two venues – of which there were eloquent experts from many fields: urban design, transport, sustainability, history, indigenous architecture, along with award-winning architects in conversation. Much knowledge and critical thinking was on offer, all for free.

Although some talks suffered from a lack of participation, there were also those with wide appeal – for example, many wanted to hear from the Auckland Architecture Awards judging panel on what worked and what didn’t. In addition, Jeremy Salmond, Patrick Reynolds and Jeremy Hansen’s Villa talk had participants from both the public and the architecture profession. One member of the public even brought a picture of her own villa for comment.

Sir Miles Warren may be concerned about there being enough pie to go round, but those who were part of Architecture Week proved they had the passion to pursue it.
I look forward to the next, bigger and brighter Auckland Architecture Week.