Alan & Gretchen

Lumsden Hotel

Previous Next

Happening upon this hotel in 2003 I was intrigued by the evocative environments the rooms offered. There was an air of the past in this Gateway resort, the preserved rooms hosted relics of yesteryear. The considered colour palettes of the décor, matching linen, the varying architectural choices and the strange painterly beauty of these suites expressive of individual personalities. I wanted to depict the vacant rooms in a personifying manner that emphasized the absence of human presence while evoking the expectation of arrival. There is something odd about the placement of the room’s utilitarian features. ‘FIRE EXIT’ signs above and beside the headboards and plaques explaining ‘SAFETY’ procedures positioned in an adhoc fashion on the walls. The rooms were treated as found objects and the photographs are the document of these objects. Lumsden Hotel is located on a highway junction halfway between Queenstown and Invercargill in Southland, New Zealand. Situated in a town that was once a major railway junction, which repeatedly closed in 1971,1978,1979 and lastly 1982. Lumsden has a population of less than 500. Lumsden Hotel is a “Gateway to resorts.” Their services include “Southern hospitality. Bistro 7 days from 5pm, lunches Mon-Fri. TAB, Sky, Trackside & pokies. Refurbished, warm rooms. Quality linen. Tariff: 1 ensuite double brm $70, 3 double $60 or twin brms $70, 4 singles $45, 1 treble $90. . . .“ www.aatravel.co.nz/main/listing.php?listingId=58193

Send to a friend