15.01.03     The Australian dean of the M.I.T. architecture school, William Mitchell is to step down at the end of the American academic year. He will now head MIT's Program in Media Arts and Sciences, and its Media Laboratory.

Mitchell has been gaining a reputation in recent years for his work investigating the digital landscape, publishing "city of Bits" and other influential books during the Nineties.

In a lesser known achievement, Mitchell is guiding a massive building programme at the MIT campus. Buildings designed by Fumihiko Maki, Frank Gehry, and Steven Holl are currently in construction.

His most recent contribution is the website archnet, 'an online community for architects, planners, urban designers, landscape architects, and scholars, with a special focus on the Islamic world.'

MIT news release

CHAFFERS WINNER NOT POPULAR

14.12.02    Since the Chaffers Park competition was judged in Wellington late last month, there has been a backlash against the winning proposal. Scheme A won the competition according to the jury, but local news and community groups feel that Scheme D ought to proceed. Scheme D, with its spiral park, was the popular choice.

Waterfront Development Subcommittee Chair David Kernohan commented, "Scheme A has been selected not only because it is the strongest design, but it also best meets the technical requirements for the park redevelopment”.

Chaffers Park has until now been a well-located wasteland, situated between the city and Oriental Bay. While it has good connections to the East and West, it sits in the shadow of the old Post Office to the North, and is disconnected from the action to the south by a badly placed supermarket.

Public criticism of Scheme A centred on the scale of five new buildings. One of these buildings is intended to accompany the lonely and hulking Herd Street Post and Telegraph building, which had to be retained. This Edmund Anscombe building is out of place in the area now and will cut any new park off from the sea and cast it in shadow.

Butterpaper has to date been unable to confirm just who the Scheme A designers are but suspect that they are Benoit Vignes and Ariane Smythe from Versailles, France, working with Boffa Miskell.

The Stage 2 winner will now proceed to Stage 3.

OFF SITE LINKS:
CHAFFERS COMPETITION SITE
SCHEMES A to E
Experts override public choice for Chaffers Park
Scheme A design challenged

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