"Why return to that drafty, creaky, noisy, old, admittedly quaint building that's untterly unique to this coastline, when you could have this gleaming featureless edifice that could be anywhere?" 8 October 2009

The cartoon shows a town planner trying to persuade a surf life-saver and a chef from the Maranui Surf Life Saving Club to accept a plan for a 'gleaming featureless edifice that could be anywhere' rather than return to the 'draughty, creaky, noisy, old, admittedly quaint building that's utterly unique to this coastline'. On Saturday 1st August 2009 the club was severely damaged by a fire caused by damaged electrical wiring. The fire started in the basement of the building and worked its way through to the ground level store room and up into the cafe. Destruction of the area of the store room and office meant that most of the records and archives of the club and cafe were destroyed. The building has a hole through the centre and there is significant fire, smoke and water damage to most of the building. However, the structural damage is around 25% and this gives the club confidence that the building will be repaired. The building owners, Wellington City Council, will make this decision within the next few weeks in consultation with their insurers.

Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).