OUR ARCHITECTURE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1039, 31 January 1911, Page 9

OUR ARCHITECTURE.

SOME CASUAL REMARKS, THE PASSING OF M AKE-BELIEVK.

(By Turn.)

"The old Parliamentary building—ths one half-destroyed by fire—is about the best specimen of Gothic architecture in Wellington, is it not?" 1 asked. "Well, yes,-" replied the leading architect. "and a,very poor specimen it,is." "Tes, perhaps so. Still, it is fairly consistent in design. One thing I couldn't help noticing, hou-cver, was the imitation filigree work inside. How different are those cement and stucco ornamentations from the' beautiful stonecarved work of the buildings of the Old World! The art that produced this careful work was tho delight of the builders of those days. Then, again "

"Of course," interrupted tho lending architect, "if you. start out to compare colonial architecture with that, of the Old World, you must remember" many, things.r' It is very .important, for i'li-, stance, to bear in mind tiie times and conditions under winch the work you speak of was prcductd. Nowadays there is more, call upon the available-money of a community. W'j have State disbursements for various, purposes to a greater extent than in the past. Also, if you come to compare our churches with those of the Old World, you must remember that sami,' important fact. At one time tho Church stood .for much in thacivic life thjit is now identified with our State institutions.. All these things must bo considered in their relative values."

"Quite so," 1 agreed; -though I rather wanted to launch out on some favourite views ot Kuskiii about' a community of the use of this makebelieve in colonial architecture—this, imitation in stucco, I'c-r instance; bf-th'e real stone. -- ' •... The .leading architect, however,, took the; wind out of my sails. -Tlioso who. take' an interest in-theso'things;"- fie : ; said, "must be pleased to notice, that oils bad feature" in New Zealand architecture is gradually dying out. The 'makerTielievo' is becoming far less popular. You seo it here in Wellington. You can v trace it in the State buildings. By 'make-believe' 1 refer to a desire to represent cheaply out of • the material available for tho money something that does not really csist in a building. For instance, tako : some of our wooden churches! They are palpably of wood, but the architecture is designed. for brick or . stone . buildings. The columns that appear so solid aro but hollow affairs, niado of half-inch boards. One of the most glaring examples is'tho Government Building. The 'grehtest wooden building in tho world,' we-call it, but its design .is: that of a 'stone edifice. Hit those fine columns, in,the front of it, and hear how they raittlo. All over the cbuhiry yon find wooden churches with wdodeu. buttfesses which'can only be there for the purpose of giving an imitative effect'to the building. It is tho same in other respects. Many people ihave a great, objection to 'beastly red-brick' houses, and ■would have them covered up with cement, squared out, to represent stone. In one sense, I.suppose, it-is a matter of eduoation. The age of this sort of thing, however, I am glad to observe, is gradually passing away in the Dominion, and, as I havo already said, you notice it particularly in tha class of buildings the Government is putting up. .They stand for what thoy aro without any attempt at vraisemblance. . .That is the great desideratum regarding arehitecturO in tho Dominion. Acquire first an honesty of purpose.' Don't.make things appear"to ; be niore than they are. • Spurn it, for:itspresence ;in a community is .'cheapening' in its relation .to, a people when observed from outside, anil its effects on the people themselves cannot be elevating. Afterwards, when the country increases in wealth and more money is' available for. building purposes, both • privately and publicly, then can we acquire thatgrandncss, immensity, and nobleness in archi-' tecturc, which in all ages have been a nation's pride. Let us first, however, be genuine. Get to hate stucco and its cheap prottiness. Get to look upon it as you would ; upon; the pretentious . mannerisms of a 'little' individual."

I, drew attention .to the well-known fact that in almost every country a tinct colouring, effect was noticeable in the houses. For instance, in England the houses were severe and urab in colour, and looked their best when softened with the ever-present mist. In Southern' Franco ,and Northern Italv they were bright, mostly a light yellow, with livelyroot tiles. In Switzerland-there was-the darker colour with the heavy red roofs which ,so well fitted the surroundings. -Hero , ill i New Zeal and our most; distinctive col.curing, jf olio .viewed a -city from any. distance,- seemed to' I) 6' the " homs'tito7 of' the iron roofs. It could not .be'called an attractive effect, and unfortunately in a hill-girt city its emphasis was all tho greater because so frequently' observed from above!