EXPORT OF TALENT

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21728, 10 March 1936, Page 13

EXPORT OF TALENT

CASE OP ARCHITECTS

LACK OP OPPORTUNITIES IN

NEW ZEALAND

“The New Zealand Institute of Architects spends a great deal of. time and money on education of its student* and some brilliant students-are being produced in New Zealand,” stated the president, Mr W. Gray Young, in a recent interview. **What are we canperiencing? These, students go to England and seme of thgm have won or been runner-up in the greatest architectural prize of the Empire, the Rome Scholarship. They have also won com* petitions ffom town halls to cottagefc ,and instead of returning to New Zealand, they have started practice in England. “The Government has stated that it is going ahead with a great construction. programme, and I do think that more of the building work should go to the architects in private practice. The younger men should be given some inducement to return to the country by knowing that they will have the chance of obtaining some of this work in the future.. “The British Government has air ways givm part of its most important work to 5 private practitioners, and we all know what the American Government did when it spent millions of money in rebuilding the Washington Triangle; it picked some of the leading architects of America and gave them a building each to design and supervise. In France. I understand, the winner of the French Rome Scholarship is given a Government building to carry out or look after on return to his country. ‘ “The present Government is interested in the cultural education of the masses, and the . environment of good architecture is of great moment Mr Percy* Thomas, the new president of the Royal Institute of British Architects. stated very forcibly in his inaugural address that what was wanted to-day was the. employment of the skilled planner not only in every type of building but in city planning. “In my opinion the employment of private practitioners for Government work would result in a higher standard of design and a considerable saving in cost to the country, for it must r be remembered that'such practitioner' are always compelled to study,. J economic aspect of the project conVince the client that he will c a reasonable return on his out' would here like to give credit * self-control! vl Government ments—the. State Fire InsuraJl Public Trust, and the Hailwl I UHajanw. partment—which have ing private architects to.. jjMtj 111 >ijßM their building programm^inMMgß^wjS