TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17937, 4 December 1923, Page 13

TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

OLD BOYS' MEMORIAL. A meeting of the Board of Managers and representatives of the teaching staff and the Past and Senior Students' Association of the Ghristchurch Technical College, was held last night, to consider the proposed Old Boys' memorial. Mr C. H. Opie, chairman of the Board of Governors, presided over a large attendance. The Old Boys' Memorial Fund Committee reported that at the first meeting separate committees were set up to deal with the funds and buildings, and it was thought that sufficient progress had been made to hold another meeting. The principal work put in hand had been the launching of a Christmas Fair to be held at tho hostel and grounds on Saturday, December Bth. A great deal of work had been done, principally by the members of the teaching staff, and there was every prospect of it being very successful. The committee had marie arrangements to send out a printed appeal for funds to students, instructors and Board members. It was also gathering suggestions regarding an entertainments programme for next year, and other money-raising schemes, in those it was assured of the hearty support of the Past and Senior Students' Association.

Form of Memorial. The Building Committee's report stated that it had held two meetings. It recommended that the form should be as follows: —A Kail of a size to seat 900 on the ground floor, with a gallery to scat about 250, also, under the same roof; a past students' club room and supper room (one room) to seat about 80, with necessary kitchen conveniences, and another room, about 400 ft super., for use as a committee room and library. Principally x'or financial reasons, tho committee did not recommend the inclusion in the plans of gymnasia, shower baths, bath dressing-rooms, and swimming pool. Tho materials used in the building should be in conformity with those used in the present Moorhouse avenue elevation. The committee recommended that the longitudinal elevation of the Memorial Hall should be faring Moorhouse avenue, and that the building should extend to the south-weptern corner of the Board's property (now comprising tho side school and grounds). Conditions for the guidance of the plans competitors provided that the distance between the present end of the soutii wing and the new buildings should be at with the idea of allowing for the erection of two new classrooms (already authorised) at the end t>f the present south wing, and still giving a cart psasagr-way betweeo these rooms and the hall. The committee recommended inviting competitive plans for the memorial building and offering a first prize of £IOO and a second prize of £SO. The committee had no present recommendation to make on the matter of starring the building. Realising that it was largely a question of finance it preferred to leave it for the consideration of the combined'mating. Regarding the competition for designs, the committee also recommended that three assessors, one a registered architect, should .be appointed by the Board of Governors, and competitors should have no appeal from their decisions Assessors shall take into consideration the necessity for carrying out the prescribed works a.t the lowest possible cost, without sacrificing good architectural features, accustie properties, ventilation and natural lighting. Successful competitors would not neoessarily be the architects for the ereetion of the building.

The Question of Baths. Mr C. J. Goldstone said he had an objection to make to the clause which recommended that the baths should not be included in the memorial. Speaking as a teacher of the school he said, there .was one thing that the school should get if at all possible, and that was a swimming bath. At present the children could not get practioe in swimming without going to the Tepid Baths. AH students should have the chance to leaxn to swim if the pool was installed. , "That matter was very seriously considered by the committee," said the chairman. . Mr J. W. Graham, chairman of the Plans Committee, said it had certainly considered the question. At first it had thought that the baths might be put under the hall, but, finally for financial and structural reasons it had been decided that the idea was impracticable. The site was not large enough to allow a swimming pool ana shower baths to be put down. _ Mr K, S. Murchison said that m his opinion, the concert hall would not be of much use to the country children. The swimming bath was more important than the hall. Dr I> E. Hansen, headmaster ot the College, said the hall was one of the most important adjuncte to a school. Daily assemblies, meetings, concerts, would all be held there and it would be of great use to the school The effect of good architecture on the students should also betokeniTitoconsideration. He felt that baths ajust come, but he hoped not m the neighbourhood of a . railway yard. , Mr H. T. Armstrong, M.P., thought the hall hnd been designed on a rather elaborate scale. Its seating accommodation would compare favourabJy anv picture theatre m the citv. He was inclined to think that the cost would be double the amount that had bsen estimated., Swimming baths, and the gymnasia were just as essential as th l>r ha HaSn' mentioned that the Etogt STSSJ| o comititi«i.

The Design Competition. Mr Graham moved as an amendmeni to the clause .recommending a competition that the Board should be asked to appoint a local architect to prepare the plans. Ho raised-the objection that if an unregistered architect on prize itherc would be no one capable of superintending the actual work. There was considerable discussion recarding the amendment. Mr Armstrong said he was m favour of* the competition. In the offices or registered architects it was the unregistered employees who did most of the work. The brains of the employee were exploited. If students of the echnical College had the necessary qualifications and they succeeded, they should get the prize. Mr A. Feverill said the leading architects would not }>e attracted. by& tie

prizes offered, if, as was suggested, they 6hould not be asked to go on with the work. Only mediocre people would enter if they could get no fees out of it. The amendment was lost. Mr Murchison then moved!" that only ore prize of £l5O should be offered. He said that it was no use offering a second prize if they were only going to use one plan. Mr Peverill seconded the motion, and it was carried. An amendment moved by Mr Pfeverill, that the successful architect should be appointed the architect r or the erection of the building, was defeated. Tho report and recommendation 'will came before the Board meeting on Friday night.