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Final Pin up

concept

It’s a rainy Thursday afternoon. You and your friends are playing Yu-Gi-Oh at your mom’s dining table, as you always do. You’re 20 now, and she’s had enough of the little creatures, shiny cards, and constant shouts echoing from the room. But where can you go? Where in Tāmaki is there a place to hang out after 5 p.m. on a Thursday? You’re too chill for a bar and too loud for a library.

That’s when your mate suggests The Gutter.

Despite the name, The Gutter is a pink palace with soft pink walls and playful interiors. It’s where you come after a long day to dig through comics, not to talk about your problems. "Digging" is slang for hunting records and comics—the act of sifting through hundreds before landing on the one you’ve been searching for. That thrill of the chase is what the comic worms are designed for.

The comic worms, which are long comic shelves, are the heart of the store’s layout. Designed to encourage face-to-face interaction, they create a subtle sense of connection between customers. 

When you’re digging for comics, you’re not just buried in your own world—you’re across from 

someone else who shares your love for the hunt. The worms create a natural, unforced moment of community, where you can look up, see someone else on the other side, and feel that unspoken connection through a shared passion.

Newmarket is the perfect location for The Gutter. It’s a space that stands out amidst the commercial buzz of high-end fashion stores and designer brands, offering something unique: a place where community and culture meet. The Gutter fills a gap, bringing together people who might not have a space to connect elsewhere. It's not just a store; it's a third space where relationships and shared experiences grow organically.

The design goes even further in creating that sense of belonging. As you approach The Gutter, a low, long window reminiscent of a comic gutter invites you in. The window sits at just the right height for passersby to see hands moving through comics, drawing them inside. It’s almost like a comic panel in motion, guiding people in by making them curious. 

Once inside, every touchpoint in the store feels intentional and personal. From the handcrafted door handles to the custom-designed objects that guide you through the space, everything has been created with care. The store's flow is tactile and intimate, reinforcing the idea that this is a space where you can slow down, interact, and engage. The bespoke elements make the store feel like an extension of the community itself—handmade, thoughtfully designed, and full of personality.

The risograph has become a central part of my design process. I started using it again after my mono prints reminded me of the work I did with it last year. A risograph is like a digital screen printer, layering ink in vibrant, textured ways. What I love most is how each color builds upon the last, creating beautiful, grainy comic textures. The bright, almost fluorescent colors really drew me in, and I found myself wanting to explore how comics were traditionally printed. 

Historically, comics were created using offset lithography, which produced those iconic halftone dots that we associate with comic book art. When I discovered I could adjust the LPI (lines per inch), it unlocked a new world of possibilities—changing the spacing between ink dots gave my prints that classic comic book feel, and I became hooked on experimenting with this technique.

In thinking about the physical space of the store, the risograph inspired the exterior design as well. I envisioned using recycled risograph prints to create a paper pulp exterior. The idea was to take discarded prints from zine artists, print markets, and my own work, and turn them into something tactile and interactive. This exterior, made from handmade paper, transforms the store into a living sculpture.

The Gutter is more than just a comic store. It’s a vessel for women, queer folk, and comic fans to come together. There’s no pressure to buy anything; the person behind the kiosk is your friend, not just a cashier. It’s an escape from the beige walls and fluorescent lights of corporate retail, a third space—a second home. The Gutter is a place where you can simply exist, like sitting in silence with a close friend. Pink, beautiful, and soft on the senses, it’s a space where your mind and body can rest.

Newmarket is a place of contrasts. You’ve got high-end fashion and designer stores, but spaces like The Gutter offer a different kind of value: a human one. It’s a reminder that, in a busy city, it’s possible to find little pockets of connection, where community means more than commerce. Here, the design and layout ensure that everyone who walks through the door feels like they’re part of something bigger, a space where relationships grow over a shared love of comics, art, and craft.

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making different iterations of paper pulp and making some flat paper to laser engrave my section and floor plan onto - trying to keep a harmonious presentation

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photos of model

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formative presentation

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interior views

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more process work scans etc

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process work - monoprints, risographs, section and floor plan

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looking at community centers around auckland, but new market in particular. not very many options

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checking out the comic book store on symonds street, very cool, open space. nice wooden floors and good shelving. Comic store need heaps of wall space to display their ephemera i will definitely keep that in mind while designing my space.

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laser cutting my model, spray painting it pink, layering my wallpaper on my model, gluing it together, making a model of my kiosk

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photos from my journal, sketches to do lists etc

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looking at paper furniture/up-cycled for my comic book store

Photos from pinterest

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watching Yalda, talk about iranian architecture and the importance of community

Neighbourhoods with historical textures are inhabited by people who have no way to stay there and power to improve their living situations. The municipality has no Formula but demolition and reconstruction- we name them as obsolete or worn out. We somehow encourage people to tear down their beautiful old homes and build houses with 4/5 stories. She asks the question is it our duty to conserve heritage? She would agree with this statement, if we (as Iranians, don’t conserve our cultural identity who will? She talks about Iranian architecture the patterns mosaics and the courtyards. She reminiscences on what these courtyards meant for the people who resided in the spaces and how the space was used as a bedroom in the summer and place to have a bbq and a place to take shelter from political violence and patriarchal violence as it became a place for women to connect with eachother and became a place of refuge.

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Risographed floor plans and a section drawings

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site visit

Site AnalysisCeiling Design: The ceiling features intricate molding with decorative, ornate patterns, suggesting a classical or neoclassical style. Multiple recessed lights surround the central embellishment, providing balanced illumination. This creates an elegant atmosphere that enhances the aesthetic value of the space.

Wall Elements: The walls are lined with symmetrically spaced decorative sconces (though non-functional at present) and squared panel molding, contributing to a sense of order and sophistication. Some areas are in the process of renovation, as indicated by exposed wiring.

Floor and Space: The flooring is in a rough, unfinished state, indicating ongoing construction or renovation. The spacious layout, high ceilings, and large doorways give an impression of grandeur, with an ample amount of light entering through the doorway and large windows.

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Concept for the comic gutter

It is a rainy Thursday afternoon

You and your friends are playing yugioh as you always do, you are 20 and you’re in your mothers dining room

She has had it with you little creatures

And your shiny playing cards

And the constant screams that emerge from her dining room

Where can you go to enjoy a game?

Where can you and your friends go to on a Thursday after 5pm in tamaki ?!?

You’re too calm for a bar too rowdy for a library

But then your mate suggests you go to the gutter

The gutter by defying its name is a pink palace of soft white walls and playful interiors. She is here after a long day to dig through comics, and not talk about your problems. Digging is slag for people who hunt for records and comics. The act of sifting through, seeing hundreds of comics before you find the edition you’re looking for. The trill of the chase, the comic worms are designed to have a person on each side, and the face forward approach to the design is a way I hope to engage the community a bit more by having them stand on the opposite side of eachother.

Because of the simplicity of the design and my goal to have it be a community space. Every three months or so we have a new artist displaying their comic on the walls of the store

Or getting the community together to fabricate the exterior walls. As the people of Nuffield Street walk by they can also engage with the odd by looking or even pressing paper onto the concrete walls. There are no explicit workshops in the space, but I’ve always found if you give a space for community then the community will often come. The goal is to have it as open as possible so the space is always ready to adapt to its occupants. I want to provide a beautiful vessel for women, queer folk and fans of comics to come together. A die hard fans of comics won’t let a little bit of pink get in the way of their digging.

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The Carlton Club Hotel was designed by Edward Mahoney and Son and built in 1887 for the first mayor of Newmarket - William Suiter

https://newmarkethistory.co.nz/1901-1950/