19/04/2024
We are deeply saddened to witness the demolition of the Landscape Plant and Sciences Building, less than 20 years old.
We appreciate these words from Kerry Francis and the .
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"Described as reinterpreting âthe Oxbridge model of tertiary buildings in a delightfully informal and contemporary South Pacific wayâ, it won a Te KÄhui Whaihanga NZ Institute of Architects award for Public Architecture in 2005.â
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âThe blatant stupidity of this demolition is beyond belief,â says Kerry Francis, architect and lecturer at Unitec Institute of Technology Te Whare WÄnanga o Wairaka, who has witnessed its demise.â
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âIt was a building of significant architectural quality that could easily have been re-used for a number of different functions. In a time of climate threat, the demolition of a fine and very useful piece of architecture seems at best reckless.ââ
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The building was sold to the crown to offset debt, says Kerry, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development brought in the demolition crew last month.â "