UNIVERSITY ART SCHOOL

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27466, 28 September 1954, Page 12

UNIVERSITY ART SCHOOL

Move To Riccarton Site Requested MORE ROOM FOR LIBRARY Authority for moving the School of Art to the college’s Ham road site so that the present School of Art premises can be used to provide extra accommodation by the library is sought by the Canterbury University College council. The council decided yesterday to apply to the University Grants Committee for authority to prepare plans and carry out the necessary construction involved in the proposal. This will involve the provision of a School of Art building in permanent materials at the new site and the reconstruction of the present School of Art building. Authority for the provision of approximately 2000 square feet of floor space for administrative purposes on the present university site is also sought by the council. Reports from the academic committee and the finance and property committee on the proposals were considered yesterday by the college council in committee, and the decision of the council was later announced by the chairman (Mr D. W. Bain).

“The immediate problem is accommodation for the library,” said Mr Bain. Because of the present inadequate accommodation books were stored “in about 30 corners round the college” and the library’s circulation department was lending out more books than it would normally do if space for reading was available in the library. “It should be made clear that the decision to apply for the art school to be moved does not interfere with the proposed move for the school of Engineering,” Mr Bain said. “This move is supplementary to that move. This decision was made because we feel it is more economical to shift the School of Art as soon as possible, rather than to seek authority for any major structural additions on the present site.” The work on the new site would include the adaptation of the “Okeover” homestead, he said. An extension to the present western wall of the library to connect the library to the art gallery was proposed, said Mr Bam. The reconstruction of the art gallery would then give the library a welcome addition of several thousand square feet of floor space. The old wooden buildings on the Montreal street frontage will be demolished before the new administraS 7?H bl « ck “’ w ?L ch .,Y ill be an extension of the present building on the Worcesr«Jtree. t corner-is erected. The building is at present used by several student groups.