City Talks: Bill McKay - A History of NZ Church Design

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

29 AUGUST 2016

CITY TALKS: Bill McKay
Worship: A History of New Zealand Church Design
City Gallery Wellington, Civic Square
Monday 19 September, 6pm
Free entry

‘‘Church design, like that of other architecture, reflects the forces and imperatives that shaped our country. The history of our churches reflects the history of our culture — their story is the story of us.” — Bill McKay

Worship: A History of New Zealand Church Design surveys some of our most significant buildings of the last 200 years, and is illustrated by award winning photographer Jane Ussher. Bill McKay invites us to consider the future of our church buildings in an era witnessing a decline in the relationship between spiritual and civic life. Given their fascinating history he asks how we identify which buildings we want to maintain and care for, and how we share the costs for earthquake strengthening and maintenance as communities are forced to reconsider how we value our built environment.

Bill McKay’s City Talk begins a week of activities supporting Architecture Week in Wellington in a conversation about the changing face of our cities.

City Talks is an ongoing series initiated by the New Zealand Institute of Architects Wellington Branch and presented in partnership with City Gallery Wellington. Its purpose is to foster discussion about architecture for a broader audience in a city that cares to openly discuss ideas relevant to our future.

Architecture Week is a celebration of the built environment and an opportunity to engage with the authors of our architecture.

Bill McKay has written and talked extensively on New Zealand architecture and urban design issues and social housing in books, journals and magazines such as Architecture New Zealand. His commentary and criticism over the last decade was recognised by the New Zealand Institute of Architects with a President's Award, and Urbis magazine named him Best Architectural Writer.

His previous book Beyond the State: NZ State Houses from Modest to Modern (with Andrea Stevens and Simon Devitt) was a 2014 NZ Post Book Awards finalist and a Listener 100 Best Books. He has also made extensive contributions to recent books Long Live the Modern and Group Architects: Towards a New Zealand Architecture.

Bill McKay’s visit to Wellington is supported by Penguin Random House books, http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/.

The talk will be followed by refreshments.

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