NZ visual diary - entry 80

Mills Lane - back entrance

In the early development of modern cities, lanes and alleys served a utilitarian function. They were the delivery corridors and pathways to carriage sheds or motor car garages. They served a private purpose, one of shielding the front-facing portion of a home from the sullied features of city life - the to and fro of noisy and smelly service vehicles or unsightly storage structures for firewood and all manner of household supplies.

In contemporary city centre life, alley and lanes are home to prime entertainment areas. Often off limits to car traffic, these petite streets may be tree lined with wide sidewalks that can accommodate both foot traffic and sidewalk dining.

In a mirror image of their former selves, these narrow passages present the allure of intimate and secluded spaces that invite a public looking for entertainment and dining destinations, or simply a quiet place to stroll. Lanes and alleys that have be reconsidered and dressed-up have the feel of movie sets within an otherwise bustling city.

And when rear entrances along these modest thoroughfares are left open, inviting the inquisitive passerby to peek inside, they offer serendipitous opportunities to transform the most mundane streetscapes into something quite visually exotic.