Avenues

There is nothing like being on the edge – the exhilaration of experiencing something new – feeling the excitement, testing ourselves, adrenalin flowing.

Edginess comes in many sizes and forms: New Zealand is located on the edge of the Pacific Ocean – some would say on the edge of the world! Our remoteness has led to innovation and has helped us to be on the cutting edge of many industries such as rocket launching and pioneering flying taxis. Christchurch is located on the edge of the Canterbury Plains and Pegasus Bay and also has the softer edges of the Avon and Heathcote Rivers running through it.

At a much smaller scale we can create our own ‘edges’ and transition points in our homes, such as entries, verandahs, and decks – all edges between indoors and the outdoors; for example the Huntsbury Hill house with a balcony serving as a viewing platform out across Bowenvale Valley where its residents can feel as if they are floating out into the sweeping valley below.

Architecture can provide an array of structures and spaces to experience the edge, like a bridge to jump off with a rope around your foot, or a scenic lookout deck on the side of a mountain. The restaurant balcony at Te Waonui Forest Retreat at Franz Josef is an elevated edge jutting out into the native treetops, allowing diners to connect intimately with nature.  

And architecture of itself can be edgy in terms of style, form and materiality. The unexpected, unusual or designs that challenge the norm can be considered “avant-garde”. I think Christchurch’s best example of this is the Transitional Cathedral designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, with its cardboard tube structure, polycarbonate roof cladding, shipping container walls, overscale oversized coloured glass windows, and ridge line that morphs between the north and south triangular façades.

Being on the edge allows you – physically or psychologically, depending on the situation – the option to ‘fly off’ into the void, or retreat back to safety.

Sometimes we prefer to play it safe, embracing the edge in a restrained way - enjoying a harmonious co-existence between urbanity and nature, indoors and outdoors, water and land - blending seamlessly across each. But at other times we may want to be out there, slightly off balance, precariously placed, pushing boundaries with the slight chance of falling off – living on a clifftop, skiing high in the mountains, peering off an apartment building balcony 30 storeys up.

How edgy do you want to be?

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