Tradition or Innovation?

Out with the old and in with the new – progress is moving forward. Is that always the best attitude? In some cases, the answer is yes, but certainly not in all.

Great buildings mark an era and it’s interesting to see how architecture has evolved, even in such a young country as New Zealand. Preserving even such a young heritage has seen a great number of our homes and public buildings protected around the country. This gives suburbs a personality, and encourages us to appreciate the craftsmanship and character of old buildings. Protected buildings can be renovated and improved, so long as they key elements that make them special are preserved and treated respectfully.

Change, particularly when it comes to architecture, is a topic which can be widely debated. Older buildings tend not to leak, are finished with a care and detail seldom seen today and have stood successfully against our elements for many many years. They often were built using beautiful native timbers and accented with stunning featured like stained glass, which can be hard to replicate. On the other hand, technology makes new buildings stronger against earthquakes, more efficient to heat and cool, and they can be fitted with more ‘mod cons,’ being purpose, built.

King’s School in Auckland is steeped in history. The progress vs tradition debate is alive and well here, where a proposed upgrade to the campus has the community conflicted. The Hanna block, named after Sam Hanna (former chairman of the Board) built in 1937, is due to be replaced with a $30 million state of the art learning facility.

After the Christchurch earthquakes, the school checked all the buildings. While all complied, there were some issues with the Hanna block. Coupled with the desire to offer student more opportunities, the decision was made to replace it with a new facility.

While there is excitement about the new direction and what it will mean for the school, there is also a feeling among the community that the Hanna block should be preserved. The group has set up a petition to save the building and Facebook page to share their views.

As always, we welcome your comments!