The Centrepoint complex was dismantled in 1997, possibly at a time when retail was still healthy in Masterton. PHOTO/FILE
The Centrepoint complex was dismantled in 1997, possibly at a time when retail was still healthy in Masterton. PHOTO/FILE
IN WRITING on the lack of fortune and eventual deconstruction of Masterton's Centrepoint Mall and tower it would be easy to draw parallels with the decline of retail in Masterton in general.
The Centrepoint complex was dismantled in 1997, possibly at a time when retail was still healthy in Masterton.
The Wairarapa Times-Age was still 14 years away from changing from a broadsheet to a compact, cellphones were generally Ericssons and Nokias and you advertised on paper because that's where all the local news was.
But I think it's more a case of certain architectural oddities, constructed in the 90s, being a bit out of phase with the standard ebb and flow of the going-to-town set.
I don't think you could argue that Centrepoint was too modern for the town, as a comment on Masterton's tastes.
In Wellington, the capital city, even if you regarded yourself as a modern city type, there are still notably odd 90s-era buildings, with lots of concrete and circles, that were never comfortable on the eye.
They have chosen to fade into a mouldy background behind advertising banners, rather than risk catching the eye again.
I imagine Masterton and the other Wairarapa towns feel more comfortable with developments that are sympathetic with a contemporary, perhaps old-world look.
Kuripuni has managed a pleasing-on-the-eye finish, with a traditional air, and Greytown certainly has made the most of its Victorian frontages -- partly the reason why the local supermarket is designing its sign to match the street.
I suppose steady as it goes will be the preference for Wairarapa communities.
Perhaps this is why modern -- and expensive -- advancements like the Carterton Event Centre and Waihinga Centre -- meet with a lot of resistance. The reality is it's hard to be innovative and progressive when there's a feeling that other communities are missing out on essentials. Outrageous flair is all very well, but sometimes the new town square just needs the basics, and the comfortable budget. These days, post-financial collapse, good taste means being sensible.
