BUILDING ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 848, 21 June 1910, Page 7

BUILDING ACTIVITY.

NEW STRUCTURE FOR MID-CITY. OLD SITE OF MAORI PA. Tba commercial trend of Wellington is eastward along Courteuay I'liicc. Recently a references ivus made to t|ie metamorphosis of that thoroughfare from a residential to a business street, and it was then noted how great a change had come over that part of the city silica the electric trams became an effective factor in opening .the lauds that liej beyond—lloseneath, Hataitai, Kilbirnio north and south. Lyall ilay. and .MiraMar. There are, too, very few unoccupied' sections on the sunny side of the city, and those few are. beins rapidly blotted out by new residences. • The latest building proposal is from Messrs. W. Belcher and Co., leather merchants, who havft acquired that valuable corner site at the junction of Tarnnaki Street and Tarunaki Place (at that point where Conrlcuuy Place merges into Manners Street), at present occupied by the "llissius; Link" seeond-hand dealer, and for many years previously in (lie occupation by .Mr. Harry Woods, blacksmith and horse-breaker. The site is rather interesting, as it is said to have onco formed part of the old Te Aro Native pa, which extended from there to a point above high water-mark, long since lest ill the reclamation works which have pushed the waters of. the harbour back some hundreds of yards. Messrs. Belcher and Co. have instructed Messrs. Haggard and Prouse, architects, to prepare the plans of a large building, and a tender for its erection has been let to Messrs. Campbell ami Bourke. Tho new building, which will have a frontage to Taranaki Place of 32ft. 3in., ami one of 40ft. to Taraiiak) .Street, will bo'a steel-frame brick structure of four stories and a largo basement—practically a fiv(i ; story building. The mode of construction' will be practically tlio same as adopted by tho architects in Brittain's, Uaudin's, and Ciulbury's new buildings, viz., that each story supports the weight of its own brickwork, the walls being built on tho concrete-encased girders. As the floors and partitions are of reinforced concrete, the structure will bo as nearly fireproof as it is possible In malto it. Tho building will front Taranaki Place, with two shops divided by n central en- j trance, and hall, and stairway leading to vhu Urst lloor. The Tarunaki Street frontage will be a series of sliow windows in connection with the corner shop, which, with the basement and third lloor, is to be occupied by Messrs. Ilelcher and Co. The first floor will be divided into fine offices, with all conveniences, and the second and fourth floors will bo left undivided, so that they can be partitioned to suit' tenants. Tho building will have a Hat concrete roof, and will bo provided with a well for an electric lift. The elevations will be finished oil' in cement and red brick, of neat and attractive design. Tho building will cost about .C 1(500. M.es'.r.i. Iloggard and J'rouse have just completed a commodious fire-proof, tlireostory building for Messrs. \V. J. Gamiin and Co., grui/i; mid produce merchants, of Ghuznce Street. This is a modern steel-frame brick store,' with 8-inch concrete Honrs, reinforced, with Jin. iron bars, and supported by 1 tin. by liiu. steel girders. The new building has a frontage of 45ft. by a depth of 58ft., and. provision is made for an electric lift: well. All partitions and stairs are of reinforced concrete, and the flat roof is also of the samo material. The ailvanfago of the Hat concrete roofs is Ilia immunity from fire risk which the.y ensore. Burning matter might fall on such roofs all night without any harm being done, 'and on that score alone (apart from the excellent promenade they make) the Hat roof is hailed as the roof of the future. ■ • Tlio building, which was erected by Messrs. Campbell and Bourke, cost about iSJOO. ' j