Designs On Public Show

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31101, 2 July 1966, Page 1

Designs On Public Show

A sleek flying saucer hovering on squat pillars, a curl of orange peel climbing 14 storeys over the Avon river, a beehive, an egg, and an upended wedge these are some of the shapes the Christchurch Town Hall could have taken. These effects—some impressive, some bizarre—are among the 58 designs entered by New Zealand architects for the town hall competition. They are on display at the Durham Street Art Gallery, and were seen by guests at the official opening of the exhibition last evening. In pride of place is Messrs Warren and Mahoney’s winning design, with a scale model of their group of buildings. Assyrian Effect The building with the orange-peel effect was described by an architect last evening as being in the form of the ancient Assyrian temple tower known as a ziggurat. It is at one end of a kidney-shaped ground plan, and climbs up from a central council chamber. Its restaurant and banqueting hall are on the sixth floor to give a view over the Christchurch “Star*’ building to the Southern Alps. Another design provides a minstrel’s gallery in the council chamber. Many of the designs are made up of rectilinear, glass-walled, officeblock buildings, but several have a marked Oriental style —including one with a tall pagoda tower. Tent-Shaped Roofs Two have peaked, tentshaped roofs reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House. A striking feature of another design is an enormous candle-

shaped fountain on top of the public library building. One Christchurch entry incorporates an internal lake flowing out over a waterfall. One of the strangest has already been nicknamed “the railway smash.” Its large buildings appear to topple inwards as if nudged heartily from both ends. Mr E. D. Dawson, president of the Institute of Architects, thanked the organisers last

lic the high quality of Newl Zealand designers. “The knowledge we have of our own ability (I say without too much modesty) makes us so impatient whenever an overseas architect is appointed for a New Zealand building,” he said. Mr Dawson said that the reputation of Messrs Warren and Mahoney was such that the decision of the judges would be acclaimed by all New Zealand architects, and not least by the other 57 entrants. “You can safely be- assured,” he said, “that when this building is finished you will have a building that is in world class.” Mr R. C. Muston, of Wei-

lington, professional adviser to the Town Hall Committee, said he had been associated with a number of major architectural competitions in New Zealand, but had never before experienced such a wellrun competition from the promoters’ end. There had been a wonderful response from New Zealand architects, and he was satisfied the building chosen would be one that “we as architects would have no fear of being associated with.” Prizes Presented The Mayor (Mr G. Manning), congratulating the winning architects, said the present generation would now be able to hand on something of great interest and utility to future generations. It would be a worthy inheritance for them in keeping with the facilities inherited from the pioneers. Mr Manning presented the first prize to the winning architects, and prizes to two of the other four finalists, Messrs Paul Pascoe and Linton, of Christchurch, and Messrs Ellison, Acheson, Stewart, and Associates, of Tauranga. Other speakers included Sir James Hay, chairman of Town Hall Promotion, and Mr Pascoe.