Five reached design final

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33034, 29 September 1972, Page 29

Five reached design final

Once the Victoria Square site for the Town Hall was settled as a result of Professor Gordon Stephenson’s r ecommen dation, thoughts began to turn to the design of the complex.

Money was obviously one of the major problems, but the design itself was recognised as meaning everything. A design competition was soon being discussed. A New Zealand-wide architectural competition was decided by the City Council to be held for the development of the Town Hall site. On October 21, 1963, council officers were authorised to prepare conditions for the competition. Cr H. G. Hay, the chairman of the Town Hall Committee, said that it was not unusual for a big public undertaking to have a competition, and he thought it

was desirable. Money might be saved as a result. The committee did not think it was necessary for the competition to be international in scope, he said. Cr Hay said that the alternative to having a competition would be for the council to select its own architect and get on with the job. On July 20, 1964, the City Council approved the holding of a two-stage architectural competition on a national basis. The first stage, in which a preliminary concept was required was timed to close on January 31, 1966. The second stage, a final one, with more developed drawings in which only the authors of no fewer than four and not more than six selected designs would participate, would close on May 31, 1966. The panel of assessors was Messrs C. Muston (professional adviser), of Wellington, F. de Lisie, of Hamilton, and J. McCoy, of Dunedin, with Crs G. D. Griffiths and Hay, repre-

senting the promoters of the competition. Prizes for the competition were: To the author of each of the selected designs at stage 1, £300; to the author of the design placed first at stage 2, £1500; to the author of each of the remaining submissions, £5OO.

The conditions of the competition were approved by the City Council and other participating local bodies and by the New Zealand Institute of Architects. The competition called not only for a design for specific buildings but also for ideas on how these and subsequent buildings, such as a new library and civic administration block, would be comprised in a lay-out which was to be considered as a continuing design of which the competition is the first stage. The first part of the competition would comprise a Town Hall to seat 2250 persons and a concert chamber-theatre to accommodate 800, and detailed designs were required for this.

Part two comprised the civic administration building, mayoral suite, council chamber and library, for

which limited designs only were required. Included in the programme of requirements for the competition was the following statement:

“The cost is considered by the promoters to be of paramount importance. The total cost of part one should not exceed £l.2m, which will not include professional fees, cost of land, furnishings, seating, carpets.” Fifty-eight New Zealand architects entered the competition — 35 from the North Island, 18 from the South Island, and five from New Zealand architects living abroad. Five firms had been asked to prepare Stage II plans, it was announced on February 16, 1966.

The five were Paul Pascoe and Linton, Christchurch; Warren and Mahoney, Christchurch; Ellison, Acheson, Stewart and Associates, Tauranga; Porter and Martin, Wellington; and Thorpe, Cutter, Pickmere, Douglas and Partners, Auckland. As is now well known, Warren and Mahoney were the winners. The result was announced on June 21, 1966.