ARCHITECTURAL DISPLAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 253, 25 October 1932, Page 5

ARCHITECTURAL DISPLAY.

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' WORK

VARIETY AND COMPLETENESS.

Examples of students' work, showing all the sides of architecture touched on in a live yeare' course, arc on display at the annual exhibition of the School of Architecture of the Auckland University College, which was opened thie afternoon by Archbishop Averill. The display is a complete and varied one, showing, in a progression, first the work done by the first-year studente, such as designing a doorway, that done in the second, third and fourth years, and finally that done as a fifth-year thesis, such as the design for a complete hospital as big as the Auckland Public Hospital,

From the point of view of the laynan, the most interesting exhibit is an sometrie drawing of St. Paul's CatheIrnl. -This it was thought fitting to ■xhibit since last week was the SOOtii mniversary of the birth of Christopher vVren, whose work the cathedral was. Drawn and measured by Mr. R. B. Brook-Greaves and others, a block was made of the production, and it was published by the "Architectural Press." The. plate measures 4ft by 3ft. The detail shown is astonishing. The drawing is done to scale, and everything can _be measured and cfrvnared with geometrical accuracy. A scjlibn has been cut out of the buiMin<r, so that both the inside and the outside are ehown, from the basement in the former view to the top of the tower. Even the choir seats are there, and the mosaic floor in the basement.

Posters, black and white, and water colours are to be seen in the exhibition. Professor C. R. Knight explained that such productions were not claimed to be models, but they were part of the course, and gave, at the same time, relaxation to the student, eo that his mind would not become stereotyped, and an outlet for imaginative construction. It had to be understood that every problem touched on had to be constructible, and that into that problem the question of economy as well as of artistry entered. . In that respect architecture was different from painting or sculpture. It had to fulfil a severely practical need.

Earthquake-r&sisting measures re; ceived careful attention right froiri the start of the course, he said, and in the absence of any definite Government ruling, measures were taken to teach students, sound methods of earthquake resistance, as practised in other countries. There again the economy factor entered largely. On display were plan* and calculations showing how different earthquake stresses were allowed for. A line fifth-year thesis was that of Mr. T. Donner, that of a seaside hotel. It was the culmination of five years' training. Other tbeses were those of a church group and a hospital, which production showed the industry of the student.

Another exhibit was that of this year's winner of the prize donated by the Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Company, Mr. D. L. Morrison.