Legendary ‘party space’ for sale
A long-time Wellington artist haunt may become a thing of the past as its building goes on sale for the first time in 36 years.
Morrisons’ Building at 13-15 Garrett St has been put up for sale by the Riddiford family, which has held it since 1983.
With two retail spaces on the ground floor, the first and second floors have been home to a dynasty of artist covens since at least the early 2000s.
Landlord Dan Riddiford has put the building up for sale on behalf of his mother. He was aware of the legendary status of the building in the artist and student community. ‘‘I have heard the phrase ‘famous party space’ come up frequently,’’ he said.
The yellow-stickered building will need to be repaired by 2027 to conform to earthquake regulations.
Jason Gascoigne, a 2002 flatmate in the ‘‘scummy concrete warehouse’’, said the band So So Modern was formed at the flat, and was likely one of many.
It was sometimes a ‘‘super random’’ place to live – one day, upon coming home, he was greeted by Ben ‘‘Blanket Man’’ Hana in the lounge, having a cup of tea.
Spaces like the Garrett St flats could be problematic but they were also spaces that fostered art and creativity.
Gascoigne thought such places in Wellington were probably in decline. ‘‘That is not a good thing or a bad thing, it just is what it is.’’
The building was also the scene of a tragedy in 2013, when 22-year-old Jess Brough died after falling two storeys while likely climbing to the roof via a fire escape.
A former flatmate, who wanted to be referred to only as Emily, said she was part of the ‘‘first generation’’ of flatmates at Garrett St in the mid-1990s. She had helped build the internal walls on the flat’s second floor.
‘‘There were definitely more such spaces available [in 1995], as it was before the boom in central city apartment building had taken off.’’
Back then, it wasn’t an artist hub as such. ‘‘We were all feral students with pet rats and dreadlocks.
‘‘My sense is that all similar places, if they still exist, are in the old earthquakeprone buildings and likely to be disused.
‘‘I think it is a shame – it was an exciting experience to be living in the heart of the city like that, and to have the freedom to make the space our own, having just left home. I doubt students could afford such accommodation these days.’’
Morrisons’ Building was built in the 1930s to house a printing business.
In 2013, it hosted American singersongwriter Amanda Palmer. She described it as ‘‘a 15-year-old political and bad-ass art space’’.