2AWA: Wellington Supervillain of the Year
Here are the nominees for the Wellington Supervillain of the Year category for the Second Annual Wellingtonista Awards (2AWA).
Who controls the traffic lights?
Who keeps starting grammar fights?
They do, they do
Who keeps buses off the maps?
Who keeps lightrail under wraps?
They do, they do
Who's in love with John McGrath?
Who thinks only of the car?
They do, they do.
Who builds only ugly towers?
Who abuses their all their powers?
They do, they DO!
(with apologies to The Simpsons)
Only the most baddest wickedest and evilest should apply, and they do, after the jump.
A. Terry Serepisos for the buildings
An explosion in a bling factory Wellington's tallest phallus building? Surely a city so hung up on design and urbanism wouldn't allow such a thing? Especially from a man with such a bad haircut.
B. John McGrath
We hate on John for the spam, and the annoying vans that drove around, and for calling us out on being "Gramma Nazis" and because one of us lost their camera in one of his bars and we're sure it was somehow his fault. Also, we hate on him because we're pretty sure that were he to read this, he'd declare it to be because he's a tall poppy, and not because he's a dick.
C. Everyone at UNO magazine
Remember when we wrote about the first issue of UNO and how we hoped subsequent issues would get better? And then the next issue had on its cover "Terry Get's It" ? And we went "[sic] [sic] [sic]!"? Ew. Please magazine run from some other city which doesn't even bother to include events listings for the city you're pretending to be from and is so sad that it needs to be given away because no one is buying it, don't claim to represent us at all. Because you don't.
WINNER!!!
D. Kerry Prenderghastly
Do we even need to explain this one?
E. Rex Nicholls.
Or should that be Wrecks Cuba? Okay, so we like Cafe Italiano. But we can't think of a single other thing that you've done that we do like.
Why are people so gutless that they remain anonymous while slagging others? What don't you like about what we've done in Cuba St? Other people have nothing but praise for our work to preserve this important part of our city. I've only ever done two developments; one was moving The Shamrock to Tinakori Rd; the other was in Cuba St, saving and strengthening the hotel which began life as "The People's Palace" and is now "Comfort Hotel Wellington" and building "The Wellington" alongside, including retaining two heritage facades. Why don't you come down and see inside, call me, talk to me? Don't just mock from behind your mask.
Rex
Who's being anonymous? Click the "About/Contact" -> more button up the top-right there.
Hi Rex,
I'm Che. I publish here, and on my own site.
Nice to meet you.
Personally, I don't mind The Wellington: it might have been more appropriate to the surroundings if it had been a floor or two lower, and perhaps with more of a setback from Cuba St, but I think the architecture is not too bad by current standards. As long as the rents for retailers there don't soar out of the range of the small independent operators that we've come to know and love in Cuba St, that's okay with me.
Some people however, including some of my Wellingtonista colleagues, obviously feel that the tall and somewhat modernist design is out of place with the feel of Cuba St, that façadism is a travesty of heritage, and that your statements about the "improvements" to Cuba St refer only to increases in property values and the loss of uniqueness and raffishness that comes with such gentrification. The only way in which I'd concur with any sentiment about "wrecking" Cuba St is your public support for the bypass: in my opinion, the block between Abel Smith St and Webb St has been well and truly wrecked. Many of us know artists, entrepreneurs and others who were once able to live or work close to the city, but who have seen their living city neighbourhood replaced by a shortcut between suburbs and a soulless, empty "heritage village" that retains absolutely nothing of what made Te Aro special.
Upper Cuba St had so much colour and charisma ,it is now a sterile zone very plastic like Courtney Place there is none of the Bohemia people loved .It is vacuous I am so sad it used to make my day just walking through it property people shouldn't have input .The sex shop opposite Fidels was the topping for me I,m an educated 47 yr old man can you wreck this part of Welly anymore?
I'm not sure I follow you: are you blaming the new sex shop on Rex Nicholls? That's not his building, as far as I'm aware. And besides, sex shops are hardly out of place in Cuba St!
As for the other changes in that block, and specifically in the redeveloped hotel/apartment complex, I'd agree that the new shops are marginally more upmarket than what was there before, but places like Madame Fancy Pants and Eyeball Kicks are hardly "sterile" or "plastic": they're run by local people with a passion for what they do, and that part of the street is just as characterful and interesting as ever.
I'd agree though that the top block is indeed sterile, and while some of the shops are starting to come back to life, the buildings that were moved won't be occupied for a year or more, so it will remain dead for a long long time. If Transit and their backers had been serious about retaining the important things about upper Te Aro, they'd have started the search for owners' descendants while the work was still in progress.
Hello, my name is Mike, I live in Miramar and I am generally known on the Web as Miramar Mike. There's more about me on the Web (Google search me) than most. I don't wear a mask unless my kids ask me.
How about you come along to the Awards Gala on Thursday 6th Dec (free ticket to all nominees) and you can have all the time you need (within reason and microphone access) to de-super-villan yourself to every single one of the Wellingtonista - who are, as James says, detailed in the About ("About/Contact" -> more button up the top-right there)
Oh, shush Rex.
At least we said a nice thing about you too.
But Rex is right about one thing, we need masks!
I thought supervillains always had the best lines!?
Hahaha
everyone who writes here, has a bio, and a photo by their name.
that is a very special kind of anonymous
There goes that council grant we didn't apply for.
Hi I am Kowhai Montgomery,
I don't have a photo because I like the random image that google throws up and long may it continue. Usually we publish under our own names but for the Awards it is a group effort.
That as close as you will get to "hiding" around here. These are our personal opinions, plain and simple.
Hi, I'm Joanna. It's my name at the top of the post that you've got a problem with, although as Kowhai said, all the categories were group efforts built up in our wiki. If you click on that name, it goes to my profile, and then it goes to my personal website. If you come along to the awards, I'll be wearing a pink dress, and I'd happily talk to you about my problems with your developments.
PS. Way to stick up for your fellow candidates Rex.
Hadyn (unmasked)
I don't really understand this blog stuff and don't intend to as it is the most boring way to communicate in my opinion. So, if anyone wants to debate the actual issues, give me a call and we'll sit down over a coffee -face to face. Obviously some of you don't like the stand I've always taken on the by-pass. Get over it, that's democracy. The people in the majority voted for it to happen and it did -in a half hearted half arsed way.
Get over it Rex, it's just a bit of fun. Besides, McGrath is bound to hose in, so consider that you're just in here to make up numbers if you like.
If we're going to have a SuperHero (it'll be no-one with anything to do with the bypass - democracy or not, it's levelled a good part of the city & slowed down the flow of traffic) we have to have a SuperVillain too.
So as another example of democracy in action, will you be coming along on the night to the awards? We need to finalise our RSVP list. The trophies are really very cool, Dan's a talented designer. As a nominee, you get in for free, but we hope you'll make a donation to the DCM as well.
Jo's right you should SO come along then you could talk to everyone over a beer. And our respect for you will go through the roof.
Rex,
i have grown to appreciate and now quite like your Wellingtonian building, and appreciate the work that you and Malcolm Perry have put into it. Apartments there are a bit too small for me, but they're not bad at all, and more developments of this level of complexity and interest should be encouraged. Its certainly a whole lot better than the terrible trash nearby with orange balconies above the Southern Cross, or the tragic waste of space scheme with big fluoro external cross bracing! Looking forward to having a beer with you and discussing your next building project!
I have to concur with Tom and Guy here - I think it has become far to easy to use Rex to signify bad developments, without even understanding what he has done, and the intentions behind them. While I understand the tongue in cheek nature of these awards, it is also ignorant, lazy, and/or mischevious.
Why?
That is what I don't understand - the Bypass was not Rex's achievement - if that is your bone, then your target should be much broader.
Is it because of the Shanrock or the Wellingtonian? Hardly supervillain stuff in my opinion (especially when compared to the type of building mentioned by Guy).
Is it because of Kerry? If so - I think it is not only baseless and superficial, but also meanspirited ignorance. Throwaway lines are damaging. If you are willing to defile online in the manner that is all too common, you should be willing to back it up online with support for your opinions. In this case I have yet to see that.
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