Part 3:
One vacant wellington building I thought of is the Museum stand at the basin reserve, a grandstand that was opened in 1925, and forced closure in 2012 due to earthquake risk.
How is it used/ who uses it?
Currently abandoned, recent photos from urban explorers Urbexcentral: “https://urbexcentral.com/” “https://urbexcentral.com/2016/06/03/abandoned-wellington-grandstand/#comments” , suggest that it is being used for storage and for refuge to ‘dynamic’ people.
Social History:
The Basin reserve where the museum grandstand is located was built by prison labour from Te aro gaol in the mid 1800’s and paid for by the wellington cricket community, so in 1866 after drainage and maintanence was completed the basin became the home of cricket for wellington. In 1925 the grandstand was opened for spectators of cricket matches in the basin, and was used as a cricket museum in more recent years, finally closing due to earthquake risk in 2012. It has been left abandoned and holds many valuable trophies and photographs of the buildings history and souls who came through the building, it is still being debated if it will be demolished.
The building’s grand interior and deep history of slavery, racism, capitalism and community shows it has had the purpose of display and curiosity, why could we not strengthen and re- open with a new space to show the impacts of society and the violent history of prison labour that New Zealand brushes over. I would like to see the space utilised to impact the people who come to the basin to remember who gave the cricket community their own space. Educate their community through art and display.
Makers by Hannah 