Urbis Designday: The perfect designer getaway
Designday’s on its way. Let us help you design the perfect weekend in Auckland.
The Roxy: a fine-dining experience under Bocci spherical lighting. Architects: Fearon Hay. 7 Fort Lane; roxy.co.nz. Dinner only: Tuesday - Saturday.
The Grill: Chef Sean Connolly’s award-winning restaurant in the heart of the CBD has an impressive interior designed by Andrew Lister. 90 Federal Street; 09 363 7067. Open seven days.
Ebisu: Modern Japanese food is on the menu at this chic eatery in the Britomart precinct. Interiors by Kirsty Mitchell. 116 Quay Street; ebisu.co.nz. Open all days for lunch and dinner except for lunch on Sat and Sun.
Mexico: A finalist in the Interior Awards 2012, this restaurant is resonant with red and amber hues and embellished with Mexican motifs. Designers: Nat Cheshire and artist Brendan Ryan. 23 Britomart Place; mexico.net.nz. Open seven days.
Xuxu: Delicate detailing, dark timbers and moody lighting create the mood in this intimate bar. Interiors by: Cheshire Architects. Commerce and Galway Streets; britomart.org/xuxu. Open Mon – Sun, 3pm – late.
Libertine: A bar located above the newly refurbished Victoria Park Market. 337 Drake Street; libertine.co.nz. Hours: Mon – Thurs, 4pm – late; Fri – Sun, 12pm – late.
Mea Culpa: Indulge in some of the best cocktails in the country at this tiny bar that regularly makes the world’s best bars’ lists. 3/175 Ponsonby Road; 09 376 4460.
Elske Bakery: Lovely patisseries and coffee, served in the super-chic, inner city Imperial Lane. Architects: Fearon Hay. 7 Fort Lane. Open seven days a week.
Little Nuffield: A small but perfectly formed coffee spot in Newmarket . Designers: Material Creative. 15A Nuffield Street. Open seven days until 4pm.
Auckland Art Gallery: Visit the expanded, award-winning gallery. Corner Kitchener and Wellesley Streets; aucklandartgallery.com. Open daily from 10am – 5pm.
The Food Store: Beautiful cuisine prepared in an open and interactive kitchen. Market Square, Viaduct Harbour; thefoodstore.tv.
Ponsonby Central: This recently opened upmarket food hall offers a range of artisanal food offerings and a lovely outdoor courtyard to eat them in. Interiors by: Paul Izzard. 136 Ponsonby Road; ponsonbycentral.co.nz.
The Hamptons: A new pop-up, summer-only venue in the CBD business district. 41 Shortland Street. Open Mon – Sat: 11am – 10.30pm.
Moustache: A quirky spot for coffee or ‘milk and cookies’ in the city centre, with lighting custom-made from oversized milk bottles. Designers: mimo inc*. 12 Wellesley Street; moustache.co.nz. Hours: Wed – Sat: 11am –11pm, Sun – Tue: 11am – 9:30pm.
Q Theatre: A purpose-built theatre space featuring contemporary architecture. Architects: Cheshire Architects and Williams Ross Architects. 305 Queen Street; qtheatre.co.nz.
Auckland War Memorial Museum: One of the richest collections of New Zealand artifacts, natural history and military history. Architects: Grierson, Aimer and Draffin. Museum Circuit, Parnell; aucklandmuseum.com. Open 10am – 5pm.
Silo Park and Wynyard Quarter: Discover a series of exciting new developments in this well-considered and already beloved public space on Auckland’s waterfront (voted Urbis’ Best Public Space of 2012).
Auckland Arts Festival: Local and international plays, live music and dance around the city from 6 to 24 March; aucklandfestival.co.nz.
Sofitel: Upmarket hotel accommodation just a short walk from the Wynyard Quarter and the Viaduct precinct . 21 Viaduct Harbour Avenue; accorhotels.com.
Hilton: This high-end hotel sports sweeping views of Auckland harbour and a top-notch bar and restaurant. 147 Quay Street; hilton.com.
The Sebel Suites: Five-star accommodation in the midst of Auckland’s buzzing Viaduct precinct. 85 Customs Street West; mirvachotels.com/sebel-suites-auckland.
Heading to Auckland for Urbis Designday? Treat yourself and a friend to a weekend of design in Auckland.
Your weekend will start, of course, with Urbis Designday on Saturday 23 March. Visit the design installations dotted around the city between 10am to 5pm, then spend the rest of your weekend hitting some more design hotspots. To help you navigate, we’ve curated a list of some of the coolest spots to eat, drink and visit in and around Auckland; and, if you have time to sleep, a few of the more luxurious places to rest your head.
Scroll through the image gallery above to view our recommendations.
Remember, Urbis Designday starts at 10am on Saturday 23 March and runs till 5pm. You can start your day at any location and use the free transport provided outside each stop to travel around throughout the day. Haven’t got your ticket yet? Head to eventfinder.co.nz. It’s $30 for a single pass, $50 for a double pass, and $99 for a double pass plus an annual subscription to Urbis magazine. Regular Urbis Designday updates on urbismagazine.com
Comments
The have the same thing (Designers Trail) in London.....where its free.
when is the wellington schedule this year please?
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