Work on Leinster House its ‘salvation’

Press, 17 February 1978, Page 3

Work on Leinster House its ‘salvation’

Restoration work being carried out on Leinster House is the salvation of this historic Christchurch building, according to Mr D. E. Donnithorne, an architect and a member of the Canterbury regional committee of the Historic Places Trust. Mr Donnithorne was addressing a town-planning hearing panel yesterday in support of an application by Hardy Baird (London), Ltd, for a specified zoning departure for the old house, in Leinster Road, Merivale, so that it could be converted to a shops, offices, and restaurant complex. “Christchurch has a rather poor history in the preservation of its early buildings compared with other cities of New Zealand, and certainly compared with Australian cities," Mr Donnithorne said. “There is a world-wide movement for old buildings to be restored and converted to new uses. They always provide a fascinating atmosphere for their new use, as well as preserving the environmental quality of the area.”

Leinster House was a good example of the work of its architects, practising in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, with its traceried verandas, comer bay windows, turreted roofs, and decorated fireplaces. The managing director of Hardy Baird (Mr P. R. Burmester) said that his company had alrea.'y received a Civic Trust award for "he reconditioning and landscaping of two old buildings on Papanui Road. They had

been declared unfit for habitation before their conversion to shops. “The interest cf the shopping public in visiting these premises has prompted us to take on the even bigger task of restoring and reusing the large two-storey Leinster House, immediately to the north of our two Papanui Road buildings,” Mr Burmester said.

Plans for the new complex showed professional and commercial offices on the first floor; and a restaurant, indoor and outdoor, with three adjoining shops, on the ground floor, he said. Although tenants had not been called for, the proposals had become widely known'and already some 20 positive inquiries for office and retail space had come in, including definite interest for office space from architects, landscape architects, and engineers.

The restaurant would offer a family style meal — simple food with fresh vegetables and roast meat — promoting English-style meals in an appropriate setting. It would be capable of seating 50 persons and would not include a fastfood or takeaway service.

Extensive landscaping, with plenty of trees at the front to give cover from the street and for the cars in the car-park, would provide a very pleasant atmosphere for visitors.

Mr M. G. Branthwaite, a surveyor, said that he had designed a comprehensive carpark, with access from Leinster Road, capable of containing 36 cars. This was cal-

culated as follows: five spaces per 100 sq. m of shop area; two spaces per 100 sq. m of office area; one space per eight seats in the restaurant; and one space per four restaurant staff. If additional parking was required, and additional eight spaces could be provided, but at the expense of landscaping. The proposal removed one access on to Papanui Road by providing a rear drive off the side portion to Leinster Road; and the car-park had provision for linking to the through access of Ballins premises, from Leinster Road to Office Road.

The Acting City Planner (Mr W. T. Williams) said that he believed the application should be approved because it would provide a logical zone boundary at the rear right-of-way between residential and commercial properties and because the retention of old houses, even though converted to another use, was of economic benefit. The option remained for residential occupancy. “I believe the development as planned has special amenity potential, possibly greater than the well known Parnell Village development in Auckland, and it is in keeping with the Merivale Village concept, which is widely accepted as a potential image for the Merivale shopping area,” Mr Williams said.

In addition, there were considerable benefits in reducing traffic congestion on Papanui Road. The design also catered for pedestrian convenience and safety.