NEW GARRISON HALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 99, 20 January 1908, Page 8

NEW GARRISON HALL.

• " . - - —— . APPROACHING COMPLETION. ;A spacious drill hall, with ample conveni-ences-.in tho way of Icctiireand orderly rooms,' has been the'dream of years-to both -officers and mon of- the Wellington Garrison. During the past few nipnths this dream has boon slowlj' materialising, and will soon be a concrete and accomplished fact. " Tho new hall. in Buckle Street is rapidly, approaching eoriipletio'ii, and there is evory prospect of thoi.work being out of the contractors' hands,, in the courso of a fow weeks. .A representative of Tiib' Dominion paid a visit of inspection to the new building on Friday, and was able to obtain a very good idea of its general plan. THE OLD DRILL'SHED. , By way of preface, however, it is necessaryto oxplain that-t-he galvanised iron walls of tlio old drillshed have been demolished, and a now structure in brick has been erected on the 'same site,/ and forms part of tho whole building. The concrete floor of the old shed will not be removed. In tho general description' of the now building, therefore, this addition will be takeu into account. Tho building itself is a solid structure, with no claims to. architectural beauty, although tho whito' sand-bricks, which "enter very largely into tho construction of the new hall, give it a smart appearance. Tho reconstructed position is in red brick. Tho Taranaki Street front is 127 feet in length, whilo the frontage to Buckle Street is 157 ft. 6in. The basement part of tho hall, which is reached "by a sub-way at the far side of the reconstructed'portion, does not extend over tho wliolq area, of:'the site. There is a ■room measuring 83ft; by 20ft. for tho Mining Corps; another, 75ft;- by-'.2Bft., for-tho Engineers; and a-Morris-tuba gallery 76ft. by. 6ft. Tlic lavatories are also situated ,on ■tho basement. THE MAIN FLOOR'. ' On the-main floor are'tho two drill halls,' itho lecture and orderly iooms, and the gun shed. Tho big.drill hall, which is floored,' measures 102 ft. by 82ft., while tho.lesser hall is 100 ft. by 50ft.- Both halls run right' up to the roof. Tho gun shed,:soft'. by-'24ft., is situatcd-at one/ond- .-; • : Situated- along -the'- Taranaki Street and BncUlo\Street sides oE tho larger hall are the, lecture and ordorly rooms, Beginning at the .lower ond oh .tho-;,Taranaki Street frontage there are three lecture rooms, each 21ft 6in. by 16ft. ' Oho of these is reserved for the .Artillery. • . . ..v- 1 ■ ' . The OfTiccrs' Clubroom, which comes next, .is a good-sized room, being 36ft. by' 16ft. Tho next two-room's'are each 20ft. 4.} in. by 20ft., ono being reserved for the Garrison Artillery Volunteers) and the. other as a battalion ordorly room', tho latter being situated at - tho corner of Taranaki and Buckle .Streets., Facing :Bucklc Street is a . large room, 31ft. 7in. by 20ft., for tho non-com-missioned officers, and adjoining that is the officers' - orderly room, 28ft.'by 20ft.- The main entrance is 12ft. wide, and forms a hall 20ft. long. - Above tho-main-floor - are a number of orderly rooms,'araess to'which is by a gang-, way' VUnning''iq'und'the" Walls of the big hall.' In the recohstructfcd portion above the gunshed 'are two'rooms- for' tho .bandsmen, a practice roomliaridjarif-orderly room. ; ' '■ • THE.- OFFICIAL OPENING. A. meeting of tho trustees iwill be held shortly to consider' tho arrangements for tho official opening ceremony.