VERANDAHS.

Press, Volume III, Issue 95, 27 December 1862, Page 1

VERANDAHS.

Some of our citizens have erected verandahs the posts of which stand on tbe outside edge of the foot-paths. The two great enemies of tbe shopkeeper are sun and dust. The one is obviated by the verandah, the other by the water cart. Temporary and moveable verandah posts, such as support awnings, are tolerated in all civilized towns; but some of the structures to which we allude are of a more permanent character j they are irremoveable. Primft, facie such buildings are an encroachment on the public highway, and are removeable as a trespass; and with so active a body as the Municipal Council, would, no doubt, bad they not been formally sanctioned, have been long ago removed. We think the Town Council has very rightly abstained from interfering; and we wish to point out that it may be desirable to encourage a further developement of the same practice. The tradesman who affords the public a protection from the sun in summer and the rain in winter, who enables us to walk along tbe trottoir with cool bead and dry feet, is a public benefactor, • and ought to be encouraged to the utmost in his benovelcnt design. If he were permitted to build the upper story of his bouse entirely over the pathway he would probably take advantage of the permission. Let us picture to ourselves the comfort, the luxury of walking from end to end of Christchurch in a south-wester along a covered pathway. How many colds and sorethroats would be avoided? How many more yards ef ribbon would be sold to those lovely sceptics who can never be induced to accept the stern maxim respecting "beauty unadorned," but rather worship in the more human faith of the Countess Yniol:—

*' Let never maiden think, however fair, She ia not fairer in new clothes than old." How many more lollipops and brandy drops would comfort the souls of truant lads and lasses; how much less in short would trade depend on the fluctuations of the barometer. The doctors and bootmakers might perhaps enter into league with the water-proof and reach-me-down sellers to oppose a design which would inevitably tend to prolong the wear of skin and of clothes. But we think we could shew them that even their interests would be consulted by comfort in moving about. For if the doctor physicked his patient the less, still he would have him longer in the world to practice on ; and if clothes lasted longer, there would he the greater temptation to indulge in more costly material. Covered footways would facilitate trade by making shop-going convenient and comfortable: it would display the singular paradox of how protection would foster free-trade

And what would be the drawbacks ? To allow the the land owners-to occupy the public highway ? Yes but that they do now. Tbey present exactly the same obstruction, if obstruction it can be called, by these solid aud permanent verandahs, as they would if the verandahs were surmounted by an upper story. We know of hut one objection which could be urged, and that is that the street would be narrowed so that there would be less air in the town. In this country, however where the air is in such a state of constant and violent locomotion, a deficiency of air iv the streets would probably never be felt. To give up a little air as the price of immunity from rain and sun would be a very good investment. Turning from the utilitarian to the. artistic view of the question, what a vista opens before us of a picturesque and beauiiful city. The long arcades runnin/. down both sides of the streets with every fanta/* 11 ' form of column and capital, the deep shadows re/ stm . under the arches, and the gables surmounting. tueir

with vanes and pinnacles glittering in the sun above, < would combine to produce an effect of considerable architectural beauty achieved by simple and inexpensive means. Arcades do not succeed in England, at least not in modern life. There were indeed the ' old cloisters, but a certain amount of gloom was not ' inappropriate to the monkish.idea. But for modern life in England cheerfulness and light are necessities | which forbid the general use of arcades and verandahs. ' There is rather too little sun in England than too much. That however is not the case here. Here we approach towards those regions in which sun is the ' great enemy to comfort. In such climates shadow is ' the great comfort of life and the great feature in ' architecture. If we want to comprehend what may be called the science of shadow, to see how varied and wonderful a luxury it may be made, we must go to ( the Alhambra. Formerly this word was merely a name to the English ear; now, from the exquisite reproduction of Eome of its rooms iv the Crystal Palace, we can all realise tbe full splendour of that most wonderful creation. It is tbe use of shadow idealised. Shadow, which in tho high latitudes is almost synonymous with gloom, in sunny climes is the symbol of joy. " The shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land " is tbe type of a satisfying delight. In this part of New Zealand we suffer from such abundance both of sun at one time of the year and of rain at another, as to point out the arcade or cloister as an architectural form most peculiarly suited to our wants. And we throw out the Suggestion as ono worth the consideration of the citizen*;, as wel_a_ of the City Council, whether it would not be worth while to allow private enterprise to convert our footpaths into arcades While on this point may we ask—havo the shoemakers and bootmakers taken a contract to keep the footpaths of Christchurch in repair? It is impossible to believe that any persons who had not a large interest in the result would conspire to inflict such | continuous misery on the townsfolk as that which we suffer from the habit of paving the trottoirs with small boulders. No doubt we all deserve penance, but we like to be clear"about our chance of absolution before submitting to the discipline. My Lord Mayor has, indeed, the power.to bind, but as we are not so clear ' about his power to loose, we fear coming off shriftless as well as bootless. Tbe pathways ought to be kept in order by the occu , piers of the adjacent buildings. That is the practice in ( many towns, and is far the most convenient way of i taxing the people for repairs. Uniformity is ugly and unnecessary. Let each shopkeeper adopt his own material, so only that it be smooth and clean. Tiles, bricks, wooden blocks, asphalt, slate, paving stones— the greater the variety the pleasanter the streets to walk 1 in. If every proprietor were permitted to build his upper floor over the pathway, leaving a height of, say 5 ten feet below, he would readily submit to keep the s pathway in order, in exchange for the privilege.