spiral staircase - events space
My wife and I had a meet-up planned for the other night with two of our oldest Kiwi friends. Our evening called for drinks at The Nightcar, an Asian restaurant and cocktail bar known for its elegant cocktails. The Nightcar is located in one of the Imperial Buildings on Queen Street. Anticipating our outing and having never set foot inside of the buildings, I was keen to do some research on the history of the Imperial Buildings and its adjacent structure the Everybody’s Building. I was delighted to uncover a treasure trove of architectural history.
The Nightcar is located at 44 Queen Street in one of the two structures that together comprise the Imperial Buildings (44-48 Queen Street). For the curious viewer of my blog, one can find fascinating overviews of the Imperial Buildings here and here. An architectural history of the third building — the Everybody’s Building — can be found here. The history of the cinema located in the Everybody’s Building makes for great reading.
Every curious about the interiors of historic buildings, I wandered about the ground floor of 44 Queen Street for a few minutes before our 5pm booking. At the rear end of the building, which borders on the alley known as Fort Lane, I discovered a stunning space that had been the home of a Danish pastry cafe called Elske. A sculptural staircase connecting the ground and first floors anchored the visual landscape of the former patisserie. The space may now serve as an events venue, but it appeared to be abandoned.
At day’s end in the waning rays of alley light — the only ambient light within the events space save for a few low-illumination lights above the staircase — the visual mood was perfect for black & white photography. My photograph attempts to do justice to that vibe.
Lastly, The Nightcar’s reputation for excellent cocktails and Asian cuisine is well deserved. My wife and I plan to return on a Tuesday night when the bar serves up not only great drinks and food but also live jazz.