ITINERARY n.47 NOT ON MAP This year marks 25 years since 2 7 8 13 Deconstructive Architecture was inagurated with a controversial exhbition at MoMA. This itinerary looks at local contributions to this global phenomenon. 1 3 6 9 10 12 14

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11 Venice Biennale Installation Venice

Deconstruction in Deconography The fuss kicked off with events The late 1980s was a turbulent time for New Zealand architecture. In the decade’s prosperous early years, Kiwi held in 1988 on either side of the practitioners embraced the up-beat forms of post-modernism that swept ashore from various northern points of Atlantic – a symposium at The origin. In the less giddy times following the ‘87 stock market crash, many local architects were receptive to the Tate Gallery in London, and the more skeptical stance and aggressive aesthetics linked to deconstruction. exhibition at New York’s MoMA. Local architects had a particular interest in this new trans-Atlantic deconstruction phenomenon. Auckland enfant The MoMA show’s controversial terrible Mark Wigley, who had achieved local notoriety through television shows on Kiwi architecture, popped list of exhibitors included Frank up at the center of the action in New York. He worked alongside to put together the canon- Gehry, , Rem defining 1988 Deconstructivist Architecture show at the . Reports on Wigley’s involvement Koolhaas, , Zaha appeared in Architecture NZ at various stages, swiftly followed by reviews of both the show and the associated Hadid, Coop Himmelblau and catalogue. In the years that followed, an ideological battle raged in international architecture circles between . Most denied deconstruction and postmodern classicism (and the closely related New Urbanist approach). Given the long- any direct connection between term ascendancy of the decon-ers (three of the seven MoMA exhbitiors would go on to win Pritzker Prizes) it was deconstructive theory and their a battle that, in the realm of high architecture at least, decon eventually won. work, and even the show’s curators In our schools of architecture it was a shorter and more decisive skirmish, culminating in the unprecedented preferred to see the work’s roots in success of The ’s decon-informed exhibit at the 1991 Venice Biennale. As exemplified by Russian Constructivism, although the Venice project, in New Zealand deconstruction came together in an unusual way with the local version of most of the exhbitiors disavowed another internationally prominent stream of thinking, critical regionalism, with its concern for the geographical and this connection too. The notable cultural context of architecture. These streams intersected in notions of “ground” and “fault” that saw the literal exceptions were Tschumi and and conceptual ground for architecture in New Zealand being unstable and fissured. The “deep-grinding energy” Eisenman, both of whom took up that Michael Linzey (see Listing 7) posited as characterising both our lively geology and evolving bi-culture was direct collaborations with Jacques invoked to explain the “aesthetic of fragmentation” in local projects. Derrida. Perhaps because they The advent of postmodern classicism and deconstruction on the local scene seemed to raise anxieties about bound themselves so closely to overseas influence, particularly the way in which ideas flowed in from abroad through magazines. The new work the theory, the careers of these was decried as inauthentic and obscurantist, a view in turn criticised as anti-intellectual and inarticulate. Looking two suffered when decon waned. back, however, it is surprising to find that outside the architecture schools and corner bars, deconstruction In contrast, Derrida-deniers generated remarkably little architecture. The talk was rarely walked. Based purely on built results, in the local Gehry, Hadid, and Koolhaas battle between decon and pomo, pomo won hands down. went on to win Pritzker Prizes. Both however, were soon overtaken by neo-modernism, and nervousness about overseas influence faded, in The pale, neo-modernism of the part because even the most significant international developments have had little visible impact on our local 1995 Light Construction show scene. While such major shifts as those signaled by ’ hyper-rationalism or ’s fluid at MoMA signaled the end of geometries have been much discussed here, there is little evidence of their being adapted for local use. We have deconstruction’s ascendancy. no blobs, no datascapes, and few explorations of the new structures or geometries made possible by digital Intriguingly, several decon technology. The new approaches associated with sustainability are among the few entries into our architectural exhibitors (Tschumi, Koolhaas, mainstream. Twenty-five years on from deconstruction’s brief flowering, the issue for Kiwi architecture may not be Gehry) were also included in the its dependence on overseas ideas but its independence from them. Andrew Barrie Light Construction show.

Reference as: Andrew Barrie, “Deconstruction in New Zealand”, Itinerary No. 47, Block: The Broadsheet of the Auckland Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, No. 1, 2013. 1 1986 2 1988 3 1988 4 1990

Jacques Derrida and Architecture Deconstructivist Architecture Uncanny*Atopia*Fiction Museum of NZ Competition Entry PhD Thesis Museum of Modern Art, NYC Auckland Wellington Mark Wigley P. Johnson & M.Wigley, Curators Nigel Ryan, Organiser Athfield w/ Gehry & Thompson Photo: Twose/Rawson/Jenner The first Resene Paints The two-stage competition for Architecture Exposition, held in MoNZ drew 38 first stage entries, This doctoral thesis, completed 1986 and titled “Tabula Rasa”, this one being a collection of at The University of Auckland was judged by Ross Jenner, the prismatic pavilions that under the supervision of Mike Francis Pound, and Mark Wigley. characterized Gehry’s ‘80s work. Austin, looked at the “architectural The 1988 Exposition, organized Despite not being selected for argument embedded within by Nigel Ryan, then a Masters the second stage, the scheme Derrida’s work” before Derrida Alongside a symposium at The Tate student at The University of was relentlessly promoted by became directly engaged with Gallery in London, this exhibition Auckland, took on a more Russell Walden, his criticism of architecture through the work held at MoMA served to lodge international flavour. The theme the judging becoming particularly of Bernard Tschumi and Peter deconstruction at the center of was set and judged by Thomas accusatory when the 1997 Eisenman. Eisenman was international architectural debate. Leeser of Eisenman’s office Bilbao Guggenheim catapulted invited to act as one of the thesis’ The curators declared decon was (and Wigley’s NYC flatmate) and Gehry into the architectural examiners, and would later not a movement but a “point of Renato Rizzi from the school stratosphere. The MoNZ scheme facilitate Wigley’s entry into the intersection among … architects of architecture in Venice. The was prepared at the time Gehry New York architecture scene, moving in different directions.” They competition co-winners – a project began developing the ideas that including making an introduction suggested it would be short-lived, by Nick Stanish and another by crystalized at Bilbao, but had it to Philip Johnson – see next entry. and they were right. Simon Twose, Brendon Rawson been built it would have sat in the A reworked version of the thesis The story of Wigley’s involvement and Ross Jenner – were exhibited rather frustrating position as the was eventually published as The is entertainingly told in a chapter in a specially rebuilt George last of Gehry’s 1980’s-style works Architecture of Deconstruction: entitled “Canon Fodder” in Michael Fraser Gallery. rather than ranking among his Derrida’s Haunt (Cambridge, MA: Sorkin’s Exquisite Corpse (New See NZ Architect 5, 1986 and groundbreaking 1990s designs. MIT Press, 1993). York: Verso, 1991). Architecture NZ Nov./Dec. 1988. EuroDisney, not Guggenheim.

5 1990 6 1991 7 1991 8 1991 Venice Prize Installation Museum of NZ Competition Entry Interstices 1 Architecture to a Fault 5th Architecture Biennale, Wellington Dept. of Arch., Univ. of Auckland Venice Biennale Catalog Essay Venice, Italy Architecti Ross Jenner & Nigel Ryan, Eds. Michael Linzey The University of Auckland

Published in Italian in the This competition entry, one of five Biennale’s official Venice selected for the second stage, Prize catalog, Quinta Mostra was developed by a partnership Internazionale di Architettura Included in an exhibition of that included Cook Hitchcock (Milano: Electa, 1991), this 43 architecture schools from Sargisson, Bowes Clifford text accompanied images of a around the world, this installation Thompson, John Scott, and selection of staff and student played with notions of drawing, Ross Jenner. A key theme for the This scholarly journal emerged work from the School. In a text representation, lightness, and design was “ground”. Connecting from an annual series of dense with philosophical and ephemerality. Staff and student the weak bearing the Museum’s University of Auckland seminars literary references, Linzey makes projects on the walls and a large reclaimed site to New Zealand’s focused on new developments a variety of allusions to the drawing on the floor were placed geological origins in the uplift in theory. The first issue is an “ground”: he posits the work as in dialogue with a paper shroud of tectonic plates, the building intriguing mix of contributions emerging from an “archeology wrapped around a timber structure was set on “immense tilted floor by names now obscure and of theory”, alludes to the Maui in which 3604 framing collided with planes”. It had been a long time notable; it includes early projects myth of NZ’s creation, points to a Melanesian navigation map. The since a big urban earthquake in by Architectus, a house by fault lines in our culture, language installation was given the “best in NZ, and the designers took an future Oscar-winning art director and architecture, and draws show” nod, the Venice Prize. The almost romantic view of seismic Kim Sinclair, and the MoNZ on images of seismic activity drawings are still clearly visible on activity: “Stone-clad these [planes] competition entry by 2005 Pritzker to describe a “deep-grinding the floor of the exhibition hall at the would have the freshness, and Prize winners Morphosis. energy” he sees in the work. The Arsenale. the streaming, resplendent, See Ross Jenner in Kirk Wooller text captures the “interrogative” See Arch NZ Nov./Dec. 1991, glistening qualities of newly (ed.) 20/20: Editorial Takes on spirit of a moment in a time when Interstices 2 (1992), Lotus formed land”. Architectural Discourse (London: faultlines were fun. Published in International 73 (1992) and See Archi NZ July/Aug. 1990. AA Publications, 2011). English in Interstices 2 (1992). Backlogue 1 (1992). 9 1991 10 1992 11 ca.1992 12 1993

A. B. Gibbs House Austin House Milford Sound Visitors’ Center National Bank 14a Kingsley Street, Westmere 1/55 Churchill Road, Murrays Bay Milford Sound Highway, Milford 122-130 Karangahape Road Lane Priest Architects Mike Austin John McCulloch Andrews Scott Cotton

An alteration and extension to a bach once occupied by

Photo: NZ Herald Mark Wigley, Mike Austin’s

The client for this building had own residence was dubbed Photo: Bruce Foster This project became one of lived in Manning Mitchell’s Kiwi “the ugliest house in the bay”. New Zealand’s most credible postmodern icon, the 1984 Gibbs Intended to disturb domestic Standing on the waters edge at expressions of deconstruction House in Parnell, and this project conventions and to play with the head of Milford Sound, the beyond the domestic scale. extended the family’s architectural the layering of elements and complex serves as a link between Dense with references to fine patronage. Positioned as a references, the design eclectically road transport and tourist boats. art, architecture and the history “subversion of the typical urban marries Gehry-esque elements Praised as “not an easy building”, of the site, the building is a house”, this collection of disparate like crooked windows and wonky the design was linked to the lineage fractured composition in which elements – concrete block walls, metal roofs with ‘local’ features of “ground” architecture extending layered solid and glazed facades a brick chimney, a sinuous steel such jaunty nautical elements from the Biennale project and the and floating canopies slide past beam, rough timber framing, and rough sawn boards nailed Architecti MoNZ scheme. The each other. The project won an an upside-down roof, a stream crudely over the existing fibrolite design makes reference to local NZIA Branch Award in 1993. running through the marble floor cladding. David Mitchell wrote of geology with “fractured” window See Architecture NZ May/June – were described by architect it in expansive terms: “Austin’s joinery layouts and a huge stone and Nov./Dec. 1993, as well as Noel Lane as “an assemblage maneuvers suggest a powerful facade wall patterned with fissures. Constructional Review Feb. 1995. of independent elements, of way in which a New Zealand Now extended. ASC employed a similar fractured disciplined irregularities”. architect, well-acquainted with The facility hit the news recently aesthetic on the now expanded See NZ Home & Building the international architectural when it was revealed chemicals Ronald McDonald House (1994), Oct./Nov. 1991 and James Ross’ world, might deal decently with leaching from antifouling paints on located nearby at Auckland Noel Lane Architect: Recent New the architectural task here.” Now the boats had reached toxic levels. Hospital. See Architecture NZ Zealand Projects (Auckland: extended. See Arch NZ May/June Uneasy, indeed. May/Jun 1993 Sept./Oct. 1993 Vision Warriors, 2003). 1992. See Arch NZ Sept/Oct 1992. and Jan/Feb 1995.

13 1996 14 1999 Sources:

New Zealand Installation Forgiving the Unforgivable Except where noted, the photos are and the architecture, try Jacques Milan Triennale, Milan, Italy Town Hall, Auckland by Andrew Barrie. Many thanks to Derrida, “Architecture Where the Ross Jenner, Commissioner Mike Austin and Ross Jenner for Desire Can Live”, in Kate Nesbittt their generous help in preparing (ed.), Theorizing a New Agenda this guide. for Architecture: An Anthology of 1965- 1995 The most useful general sources (New York: Princeton Architectural on deconstruction include Press, 1996), or the section on Philip Johnson & Mark Wigley’s poststructuralism in Neil Leach ed. catalog for the MoMA show, Rethinking Architecture: A Reader Deconstructivist Architecture in Cultural Theory (London & New (New York: MoMA, 1988. The York: Routledge, 1997). development of the MoMA show was mentioned in Architecture NZ The Architecti scheme for MoNZ March/April 1988 and May/June is presented in some detail in the 1988. The completed exhibition monograph Architectus Bowes This installation represented NZ was reviewed by Paul Walker in Clifford Thompson (Auckland: among 30-odd other countries Laurence Simmons, a key player Archietcture NZ Nov./Dec. 1988, NZ Arch. Pub. Trust, 2004). The and institutions. Like most other in the emergence of Interstices, and the catalog reviewed by Russell Athfield-Gehry-Thompson scheme entries in this itinerary, it was arranged a visit by Jacques Walden in Architecture NZ Jan/Feb is included in Julia Gatley’s Athfield not explicitly deconstructivist, Derrida to New Zealand and an 1989. Architects (Auckland: AUP, 2012). but followed on the lineage associated conference. Derrida’s Another useful and well-illustrated Other international names to enter of “ground” projects. The key keynote address was presented general guide is Andreas Papadakis, the MoNZ competition included element of the installation was a at The Town Hall as a public Catherine Cooke and Andrew Morphosis, Denton Corker huge, white, crumpled plane over event. It was a measure of local Benjamin’s, Deconstruction: Marshall, SOM, Arup, Douglas which were presented drawings interest in Derrida that the house Omnibus Volume (New York: Rizzoli, Cardinal, Philip Cox and Nikken and images of recent Kiwi was filled to capacity for the 1989). See also Aaron Betsky’s Sekkei. projects. It was intended to evoke two-and-a-half-hour session. Violated Perfection: Architecture both the paper of the Treaty Indicating deconstruction’s then and the Fragmentation of the A two-volume catalog for the and the local landscape as “a current standing in architecture, Modern (New York: Rizzoli, 1990), Milan Triennale was published, complex surface of negotiation”. however, the lecture was not and Geoffrey Broadbent’s rather Triennale di Milano XIX Esposizione Presented at the Palace of Art in covered in Architecture NZ. skeptical Deconstruction, A Student Internazionale: Identity and Milan from February to May 1996, See Laurence Simmons & Guide (London: Academy Editions, Difference (Milan: Electa, 1996), the installation was later shown at Heather Worth eds., Derrida 1991). which includes texts by Mark the New Gallery in Auckland. See Downunder (Palmerston North: For those looking to understand the Wigley, Ross Jenner, Rewi Transition 49/50 (1996). Dunmore Press, 2001). relationship between the philosophy Thompson and Sarah Treadwell.