THE NEW ZEALAND CAF: DESIGN THAT REFLECTS AN UNDERSTATED CULTURE - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

THE NEW ZEALAND CAFÉ: DESIGN THAT REFLECTS AN UNDERSTATED CULTURE Professor Richard Mitchell Food Design Institute, Otago Polytechnic

Influence of travel – but making it our own

Roots in US & UK http://www.teara.govt.nz Frank J Denton, National Library of NZ Collection

Roots in US & UK – right? Since these businesses were market-driven, hard-nosed, money-making affairs, there was no question of taking risks by offering unfamiliar Greek or Yugoslav dishes on the menu . They catered to exactly what the average Kiwi diner demanded at the time: steak, eggs and chips… The classic wall- board palace … was a long thin room with two rows of formica and chrome chairs and tables down each side wall. They were functional, cheap and the customers didn’t mind, since in Wellington, at least, they were invariably public servants with overtime chits who just wanted to get a feed out of the way before returning to work. It was our own fault that these places were so mediocre. Burton (2009: 67) Emphasis added

Contemporary New Zealand Café

A space for curating cultural iconography

Improvisation, Adaptation and Innovation

The Art of Informality

‘Third place’ for sensory discourse

Multi-sensory theatre – teatro baristi

Kiwi café – a NZ design icon in its own right?

THE NEW ZEALAND CAFÉ: DESIGN THAT REFLECTS AN UNDERSTATED CULTURE … an invitation to explore more … … the coffee’s on me… richard.mitchell@op.ac.nz