A Patchwork of Rooflines

Christchurch October 2009. Ajr

No one could ever accuse Christchurch of being a radical city. By and large it is an architectural wasteland when it comes to the innovative, contemporary architectural statements that I love - the ones that push barriers and defy expectations. So I have to content myself with small changes and additions - like this new burst of colour tucked up among the haphazard rooflines on the corner of Lichfield and Colombo Streets. I like the way it enlivens an otherwise puzzling gathering of roof shapes and building lines. I spotted it when I was driving along Colombo Street on Thursday - my eyes so now attune to the fabric of the city that I see every new scribble of graffiti, every new mural, every new poster or billboard, delighting in a small, transitory visual surprise that may well be gone when I return to the same spot next week.