Roger Walker 1: Civic & Commercial
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ITINERARY n.4344 11 3 8 6 10 9 4 1 2 5 7 13 12 This is the first of series of itineraries on the work of Roger Walker. Later itineraries will look at his houses and his collective housing projects. Roger Walker 1: Civic & Commercial Biography: In the 1960s, New Zealand’s most exciting architecture emerged from Christchurch – Miles Warren, Peter Roger Neville Walker was born Beaven and a host of other talented architects turned the city into the architectural hothouse now referred to as in Hamilton on 21 December The Christchurch School. However, in the early 1970’s a series of shifts – the ebbing of confidence in modernist 1942. Much has been made of principles, and key Christchurch architects moving their focus to large commercial projects – the Christchurch his childhood construction efforts, School seemed to lose its urgency and Wellington took over as New Zealand’s architectural laboratory. At the particularly his wooden trucks and center of this scene were the young architects Ian Athfield and Roger Walker. the Fort Nyte play hut constructed The best remembered 1970s work of both architects is their extroverted houses, but both were also active from as a 10-year-old. Walker attended their earliest days in the public and commercial realms. Walker had moved to Wellington to work under Calder, Hamilton Boys High School; he Fowler & Styles, his early contributions including the Link Span buildings and a church in Tauramanui, both wanted to design cars but his high indicating what was to come. With a few years he had completed The Wellington Club, a colorful cluster of low- school career advisor suggested rise forms that stood out among the high-rise offices of The Terrace. It created a sensation and became Walker’s designing buildings instead. first claim to fame. Walker studied architecture at the The building demonstrated a radical break with the sensible Christchurch modernism of Warren & Mahoney University of Auckland, and during (although not with the romantic direction Beaven was by then pursuing). However, Walker’s career emulated his studies he had holiday jobs W&M’s in several ways, the most startling being the extreme rapidity with which he was able move from houses with Rodney Smith Architects in up to much larger buildings – he completed complex, high-profile projects such as Centrepoint and Whakatane Hamilton, Warren & Mahoney in Airport within a few years of making the transition into independent practice. Christchurch, and the established His career also mirrored that of W&M in that the unique architectural vocabulary that would define his work for Wellington firm of Calder Fowler & years appeared almost fully formed in his earliest projects. At The Wellington Club, a relatively simple palette Styles. On graduating in 1964, he of concrete block, in-situ concrete, and timber (oddly similar to that of W&M’s early work) was formed into, as was recruited to work for CF&S, Gerald Melling wrote, “cylindrical towers, tall pyramids, truncated pyramids with mysterious attic rooms nestled where he was handed design behind dormer windows, nooks and crannies and secret corners, spiral staircases, [and] circular windows”. This responsibility for a number of language was a mash-up of numerous influences – elements from local colonial and High Victorian architecture, surprisingly high-profile projects aspects of New Brutalism, and ideas drawn from Japanese maestro Kenzo Tange and the Metabolists who such as The Wellington Club.He developed under his influence. Walker’s visit to Japan in 1970, particularly to the Osaka Expo, was particularly gradually transitioned from CF&S influential, giving him direct experience of robust way Tange expressed a building’s internal functions externally. In into independent practice in the the early 1980s, only a few shifts - the addition of trellis and polycarbonate to the material palette, a re-orientation early 1970s. His practice has had from colonial towards classical references, slightly flatter and more graphic manipulation of façades – would bring as many as six staff, but currently Walker’s work into alignment with the bold Postmodernism then emerging from Europe and the US. has two. Walker’s exuberant architecture has provoked mixed reactions. Controversial buildings often become our most loved, but a number of Walker’s buildings have met premature ends. Some, such as The Wellington Club and Walker has continued his Centrepoint, have succumbed to economic pressure, while others (Park Mews, THC Queenstown) suffered fascination with cars, as evidenced insensitive alterations. Even nature has been unkind to Walker, a fire destroying his Waitomo Caves complex. The by his large collection of cars and future of the Whakatane Airport is also uncertain, with plans for the area requiring a much larger terminal. Rather his sideline as presenter of local than being discouraged in the face of conservatism, controversy, and destruction, Walker maintains, as Russell motoring TV program, the AA Walden put it, “the joy and creative rebellion of the free spirit.” Long may it continue. Andrew Barrie & Kirsten Zink Torque Show. BlockReference Architecture Guidesas: Andrew are published Barrie with and the BroadsheetKirsten Zink, of the “RogerAuckland WalkerBranch of 1: the Civic NZIA - &Contact Commercial”, [email protected] Itinerary No. for44, more Block: information The Broadsheet of the Reference as: Andrew Barrie and KirstenAuckland Zink, Branch “Roger Walkerof the New1: Civic Zealand & Commercial”, Institute Itinerary of Architects, No. 44, Block:No. 6, The 2012. Broadsheet of the Auckland Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, No. 6, 2012. 1 1968-69 2 1968-72 3 1971 4 1971 Link Span The Wellington Club Whakatane Airport Centrepoint Taranaki Street Wharf 88 The Terrace Aerodrome Rd 161 Queen Street Wellington Wellington Whakatane Masterton With this small town shopping Walker’s first commercial building development, property magnate Completed under the auspices of completed in his own office, this Robert Jones gave Walker CF&S, this mix of historical and project answered a request from complete design freedom contemporary elements provided the Whakatane Airport Authority (requiring only the inclusion of Designed by Walker during his time visual relief among the filing- for a building that would benefit a courtyard), the result being a at CF&S, this building was originally cabinets that line The Terrace. local tourism and ‘put Whakatane marketplace marked by a 20m a customs post for the port - the The club had two buildings on on the map’. Set on a flat, open tower. The tower acted as both elevated viewpoint allows for either side of a central courtyard plain, the expressive cluster of a landmark and a viewpoint from easy surveillance of the area. The with a large pohutukawa tree forms was designed to be viewed which to overlook the town. Just a building has since been adapted marking the street entry. The from all sides and to reflect the few fragments of Walker’s design for the Wellington Free Ambulance, low-rise design was controversial mounded form of Whale Island now remain. After closing off and the amenities block that was from the start, with many seeing that is visible in the distance. This the tower to prevent vandalism built alongside it has been since it as a waste of valuable land. relatively small-scale terminal the building became, as Walker been removed. Both buildings Despite being deliberately over- remains a refreshing change from himself puts it, Centerpointless pioneered Walker’s use of concrete structured in hope that demolition the sterility typical of airports, and was it largely demolished. block and steep profiled steel would be too costly to justify but the future of the building Jones would later describe the roofs, which contrasted with the re-development, the building was is uncertain as predictions for project as “as heap of trouble all low gables of existing port sheds. demolished in the mid-1980s to increased usage are sparking the way and a lesson against Walker established popular usage make way for a high-rise Warren plans for further development on pioneering.” See Home & Building of these elements throughout & Mahoney scheme. the site. The project received an June 1973 and Bob Jones, Jones the 70’s. The ground floor toilet is See Transition Sept./Dec. 1981, NZIA Enduring Architecture Award on Property: The Property Game apparently Walker’s first use of his Arch. Review Feb. 1981 and NZ in 2003. for Fun & Profit (Wellington: signature porthole window. Architect 4/1984 and 5/1985. See Home & Building April 1975. Fourth Estate Books, 1977). 5 1972 6 1975-1981 7 1979 8 1980 The Sandcastle Motel Rainbow Springs Willis Street Village Waitomo Caves Reception Ctr 20 Paetawa Road 192 Fairy Springs Rd 142-148 Willis Street 39 Waitomo Caves Road PekaPeka Rotorua Wellington Waitomo An increasingly popular tourist Conceived as a Wellington’s attraction, the Waitomo Caves This small motel, tucked in answer to Auckland’s Parnell required a reception area to just behind the dunes on the The Rainbow Springs Kiwi House Village, this complex brought welcome and hold tourists while Pekapeka Beach waterfront, (1976) was the first enclosure colonial charm to central Willis they waited for guided tours has just eight units. A low- to display kiwis out of the wild. Street. Walker’s whimsical of the caves. Walker situated cost construction project, the Walker paid close attention to architecture accommodates a public toilets, staff facilities composition is vintage Walker achieving ‘nocturnal’ light, even mix of boutique shops, cafes and a souvenir shop along a - the cellular rooms are each designing an adjustable skylight and housing over two levels. meandering path that gently topped by a steeply pitched roof that could replicate moon phases. The combination of commercial guided people to the reception with exposed internal structure, He was later advised that the with theatrical elements resulted building beyond.