Bridgeunderpass comparison not practical without costings
TWO columns ago, I discussed the proposal for developments around the Steamer Basin designed by Damien van Brandenburg (born 1983). It has been suggested, in a letter to the editor, that I mentioned his year of birth because I think he’s too young to be up to such a task. That isn’t so. I always mention artists’ and architects’ life dates where I can because two creatives working in the same place may be of very different ages, one 20 while the other is 70. This means they are likely to have been subject to very different influences, which will affect their work.
In my discussion of the Steamer Basin proposals I objected to a proposed bridge along the line of Rattray St from outside the Settlers museum across the railway tracks to Fryatt St because it would eclipse the last remaining view from the central city to the harbour and the peninsula. When Charles Kettle (182162) made Dunedin’s plan in 1846 to 1847 he provided such views from every street running east from the line of George and Princes Sts from Albany St to what is now the Oval.
It was an attractive feature but all these view shafts have since been built out apart from the one along Rattray St. I suggested building a tunnel or underpass instead.
On December 6, models of this proposal were put on show at the Settlers museum. There are three, one showing the whole proposal, another the cockle shell group and the third the bridge. I went down and had a look at them. They’re certainly interesting. On December 8, it was reported a quantity surveyor had estimated it would cost
$20 million to build the bridge.
By email I asked Mr van Brandenburg some questions. Here’s two of them:
A Would the cockle shell complex have windows? What would these be like?
A You may have seen my column in Monday’s ODT arguing for an underpass instead of a bridge over the railway tracks. What do you think about that?
He replied in part:
‘‘We do not seem to agree on access into the harbour — I do not believe that an underpass [is] the right solution.
Typically, these become unsafe, and unhygienic for communities, and places of antisocial behaviour. In this particular instance, the underpass will be lower than the water table, requiring great feats of, and ongoing, maintenance engineering to ensure that sea pressure doesn’t stop the structure from becoming buoyant, as well as constant maintenance of drainage of a subsealevel underpass.’’
I pointed out to him that in places like London there are numerous tunnels going down to the underground. Mostly they’re quite clean and hygienic and present no threat to anyone. The underground itself passes beneath the Thames and it doesn’t seem to present any problems. That’s not to mention the Channel Tunnel, which runs under the sea for several kilometres linking England to France. It was also reported on December 8 that an underpass to the Steamer Basin had been explored but it hadn’t been taken any further.
That seemed a pity to me because without a costing comparing the two options was not very practical.
He replied suggesting I get a quantity surveyor to price an underpass and told me Ian Taylor has offered to include this in the animation and he was willing to include this in the model they have produced.
Alas, at present I have minus money so I can’t afford to commission anyone to do anything.
A On December 9, it was reported the buyer of an 1835 profile portrait of a man, Atay, Chief of Otargo, New Zealand, was the Hocken Collections. It was auctioned by MossgreenWebb and the Hocken paid $158,000 for it. I had seen that it had sold and was a bit surprised the Hocken had been able to buy it but it fell back on its endowment trust to raise the money.
The artist was a German, Charles Rodius (180260). He was also a printmaker and architect. Born in Cologne, he went to Paris in his teens and set himself up as a teacher of music, painting, drawing and languages.
In early 1829, he was in London, when he was charged with stealing a perfume bottle, tickets, an opera glass and a handkerchief from a woman’s purse.
He maintained these were gifts from some of his female students but he was convicted and sentenced to seven years’ transportation to New South Wales.
At the time of his trial it was noted that he was a very fashionable dresser.
While in Sydney he taught drawing and designed buildings. He drew Aboriginals and by 1834 had a ticket of leave. Doubtless that enabled him to come here in 1835.