Description:

Where do you go when you’re not at home or at work?

Third places play a vital role in our cityscapes, whether it be a park, pub, or café. They facilitate a unique form of connection between patrons, a truly equal space where a CEO and tradesman meet and sit at the same table.

From Third Place is a Visual Design practice-led ethnographic exploration of third place within Auckland CBD. The artefact of this study is a publication of a collection of illustrative snapshots and observations from third places in and around Auckland CBD.

The concept of third place is not often understood by those who use them, and the goal of this publication was to highlight these places in a way that brings out their core use – connection. Having knowledge of third places, where one can feel connected to those around them, can help alleviate the feeling of loneliness.

For this publication I was influenced by my previous degree in cultural anthropology. A tool used in anthropological field work is observational drawing, which is the method in which I went about documenting third places in Auckland CBD. For this project, I conducted over 10 field studies, taking photographic documentation and using this as reference for a series of illustrations split into three categories of Cafes, Parks, and Pubs.