Shed 11 Queens Wharf - RIP?

Here's a great photo of Queens Wharf in the mid 1970's. You can see that there were 5 sheds on the wharf then - quite cosy up to each other. You can see that Shed 11 (the one at the end today) has a verandah facing into the centre of the wharf, as does its partner single-story shed next along toward the ferry building. I know some architects think that the best place for Shed 11 is opposite Shed 10 - where one just like it stood in the 1970's. Interesting idea. This would free up the whole end of Queens Wharf. I won't say what for, but in the meantime that's the place that's been set aside by Government for its RWC, Party Central temporary plastic structure (aka tent, slug, etc). There are also view that Shed 11 might go somewhere entirely different - to a marine area, even to house Maori waka and waka repair and construction on land at tankfarm. An interesting idea that one.

Ever now and then you can get into Shed 11 these days. The Cool Shed that was inside it has been removed. All that's left is Shed 11, and the concrete floor that was laid when the Cool Shed was build inside it. For bananas etc... It's a bit of a holy place now. The iron doors are shot full of tiny holes that let the sunlight in - and the odd pigeon...

The roof trusses are still like new it seems, and that's kauri sarking that lines the roof apparently. Acres of it.

All looks pretty tidy from close up. You'd think if they can roll the stone built Bird Cage from one side of Victoria Flyover, to the next, and then back again, that would be a fairly easy thing to do with Shed 11. Cut off the bolts attaching it to Queens Wharf, roll it along the wharf to where it's mirror image stood in the 1970's, and then bolt it back down again.... Probably a hell of a lot cheaper than carefully dismantling it, piece by piece marked up, trucked off site, stored somewhere sensible, then rebuilt.

It's the old cast iron pieces that are attractive to me. Pulleys and runner rails. Rivets and bolts and nuts....

And the corrugated iron. Always a great look. Designers pay a mint for this look these days. So expensive. Priceless...

Sure there is work to do on the old girl, but I'm advised this shed is in better nick than Shed 10. I know Shed 10 has more character, and an extra floor, and blue gum flooring. And is a great opportunity for adaptive re-use. But Shed 11 has its features too...

Don't ignore these fantastic iron joints. Unrepeatable.

Outside, Shed 11 does look neglected. And it has been. But it does stand proudly on the wharf, and it is the last surviving relation to Shed 10.

There have been seem imaginative reuse designs put forward for Shed 11. If it is going to RIP somewhere, why not alongside Shed 10? At least until we can figure a better and more certain place for it. And I don't mean just for the sake of the Shed itself. It's all about re-use. So we need to get creative about that. No more bananas, so what then? Waka storage and maintenance and rebuild? Other wooden boat repairs and rebuilds? Something.