NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1096, 7 April 1911, Page 2

NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS.

THE COMPETITIVE DESIGNS. CRITICISED BY ARCHITECTS. There is much dissatisfaction among local architects over the comlitions which hedge in tho design competition for the new Parliamentary Buildings. The major complaint seems to be that insufficient money is provided for tho accommodation required in the first portion now proposed to be erected. The amount mentioned is cCl',o,ooo, which architects claim is .altogether inadequate ;'iid that with tiidi extensive accommodation to be provided, the elements of ill-advised economy must become obvious. Other architects aver that the information given is too scant altogether, and that competitors would be ahlc to get nearer the requirements if a slightly closer indication of iivhat was wanted were given. This point is made one of importance by some possible competitors on the ground that others might have an inner knowledge of certain details which would assist, in gaining a prize. Another matter of discontent with sonic is that the name of the assessor or judge has not been announced, as is the case in competitions in England. Others hold that this is not essential, as the name of the judge might influence tho style of design according to ths school of architecture the judge may be known to favour. The prizes ore the largest yet offered in New Zealand.

THE CHIEF CONDITIONS, Tho chief conditions for the competition are as follow:— The building is to be designed so that a portion comprising the accommodation hereinafter described in Schedule A may be erected without, preventing tho continued uso of the' present buildings for the meeting of Parliament. On the completion .of this first portion, which must provide temporary corridor connection with tho two above-mentioned buildings at points marked A and B, the present wood temporary Parliament building may be removed, 'and ilio second portion of the new building proceeded with at a future date, completing the accommodation as set forth in Schedule B. The cost of the first completed portion, including lighting, heating, ventilating, but excluding furniture, such as desks and seats in the Legislative Chamber, shall not exceed ,£IIO,OOO. Tho design of. each competitor must be illustrated by a plan of each floor, sufficient sections (at least three) on such lines as may show best the general, internal arrangements and design,, and by at least four elevations of the complete building, all drawn to a scale of Bft. equal to lin. A block plan will bo required to a scale of 16ft. to lin., showing the existing buildings in relation to tho portion of the- new building which; is first to be erected and showing the portion or portions to be erected subsequently; also showing approach roads; and lay out of the site with reduced levels indicated by figures in circles at various points all over the site. One sheet of details drawn to a scale of tin. equal to lft. Perspective drawings are optional, but same will not receive much consideration, and they must not be framed or glazed,

Each competitor must furnish, together with his plans, a typewritten report describing the building to be erected, stating the cubical contents from the iloor of bottom story to tho wall-head, and adding the exact cubic contents of tho roofs and tower, or towers (if any). The. competitor must alsp.givo.n, comprehensive description of tho materials proposed to be used,, the method, of: construction, and the systeni of heating and ventilation ; the estimated entire "cost of tho execution of the completed design; also tha entire cost of the portion first'to be erected must be mentioned in the report; the price per cubic foot at which tho competitor has estimated the various portions of the building, such cost including heating, ventilation, electric light, and other works structural., us..well, as, .mecli? anicnl, necessary to fit the building for the reception of furniture, and the efficient fulfilment of its purpose. Premiums as follow will be awarded for tho, four best designs: To tho design placed 1 first .£1000; .to the design placed second J.'500; to the design placed, third A'3oo; and to the design placed fourth ■£",00. Should any of the four best designs be the work of Civil Servants no premium will be awarded for such design (or designs), but in such caso tho Civil Servant concerned will bo granted a bonus of an amount equal to tho premium ottered for such design. A commission of five per cent, shall bo paid to the author of the design awarded iirst place, provided his design is selected for. execution and that ho is appointed architect.of the building, such commission to be calculated on.the tdtal cost of all the works designed, prepared for contract, and supervised by the architect. The commission shall' include the preparation of working drawings, details and specifications in duplicate, the supervision of the work, travelling-expenses, and all services usually rendered by architects. No commission- or other fee shall be charged to or accepted from the contracbr for supplying him with copies of the plans, etc., but such copies as uiny be. necessary shall Ik furnished by the Department free of charge, as is usual in the case of Government contracts. The Government reserves the right to adopt or reject any of the designs for execution, to dispense with the architect's supervision, and to carry out the works under the supervision of its ■ own. officers, in which case only 2J per cent., commission shall be paid the architect in full .settlement for all services-rendered in the preparation of working ■ drawings, . 'detail drawings, and specifications in duplicate, and for all services usually rendered by. architects, excepting only-the supervision of the works. In (he event of a design prepared by a Civil Servant being selected for execution no commission whatever will bs paid. The architect whose .design is selected may be called upon to make any modification or alteration in his plans that the Government may desire before tenders are invited for carrying out the work, and any varintion in the cost arising out of such modification or alteration shall lw added to or deducted from his estimate, and the acceptance of such design shall be subject to a bona-fide tender from a reliable contractor or contractors being obtained for carrying out tho work within 10 per cent, of tho established sum so arrived at. Every care will bis taken of the designs and drawings received, but the Government will not be liable for any damage that may occur to them while in their custody or in transit. The premiated designs will remain the propertv of tho , Government, but the others will be returned to their respective authors, carriage paid. In planning the suites of rooms lo be occupied by .Ministers, Speakers, Leader of the Opposition, Clerks of Parliament, and other officials of the two Houses, it is recommended (hat they be placed as far as possible with a sunny aspect. It is advisable that the Library, should be planned so that as many books as practicable within the limits of cost shall be in one large hall, top-lighted, and having galleries round the wails villi book-shelves. The object of this arrangement is to permit of easy supervision from a central office having glazed walls situated on the iloor in tho centre of the apartment. Ti'p Library should also be planned so that it will be possible to make further extensions. The building must be designed so as to afford reasonable resistance to fire and earthquake-shocks, and provision must bo made for the u-e of materials best adapted for these conditions.

Schedule A of Accommodation to be Provided in First Portion. Apartments will be rer[uired for the House of Hepresentatives as follow:— Chamber to accommodate at least 10!) members, to be surrounded by wide lobbies, having provision for book-shelves; desks, with drawers, to be shown for each member, arranged with seats as far as possible in pairs. Galleries around the chamber, as follow: (a) Public Gallery; (b) Speaker's Gallery; (c) Gallery for members of the Legislative Council; (d) Ladies' Gallery; (<■) gallery for wives of Ministers, etc.; (1) Press Gallery, to seat about twenty persons in the front row (thirty inches of space to each), with further seats and desks in a back row, tho desks to be twenty-one inches wide and to I/O provided each with a lock-up drawer and continuous narrow shelf under. This gallery to be entered as mentioned below. A, press writing-room Inrge enouch to comfortably accommodate t'.vwify correspondents at one time, and fitted with at least twenty lockers for

Bills and papers; and access to the press gallery should, if possible, be through this room only and direct without intervening corridor. A pressi supper-i'oom, about equal in size to the writing-room. Speak(■r,* rooms, as follow: (a) Office; (b) Sit-ting-room; (e) Bedroom; (d) Bath-room, W.C., etc.; (e) Messenger's room. Chairman of Committees: (a) Ollice; (b) Dress-ing-room. Clerk: (a) Office; (b) Dressingroom. Clerk Assistant: (a) Oilice; (u) Dressing-room. Scrjeaut-at-Arms: (a) Office; (b) Dressing-room. Second Clerk Assistant and Record Clerk: (a) One large oflu'O, and (b) room adjoining for press to peruse papers. (5, 0, V, 8, 9, 10 should be as eloso to the' Chamber as possible.) Bill and Paper Office: Large room near Chamber with members' lockers inside in roDm and outside in lobby. Reader also Clerk of Bills and Papers: One room adjoining Bill and Paper Office. Chief MeS: senger: fa) Office; (b) Stationery storeroom. Messengers:, (a) large room (waiting) for twenty-five messengers; (l>) largo dressing-room. Orderlies: Waiting-rorim for six near entrance. Leader of Opposition:' Large office (one room). Government Whip's Office: One room. Opposition Whip's Office: One room. Ladies: (a) One room near gallery; (b) one dressing-room, lavatory, nnd w.c. near gallery; (c) One waiting-room near entrance. Strangers: (a) Waitiiig-rcom near entrance; (b) Two waiting-rcoms near committee-rooms. Interpreter: Office (one room). Maoris: Large waiting-room with a separate outside entrance, and separate lavatory and w.e. accommodation. Members' writingrooms (four rooms). Joint Committee rooms (two), about 25ft. by 18ft. C'om-mittee-rooms (four), averaging about 2nr. by lGft. Chief of Hansard' Staff (one room). Hansard Staff: Large room. Hansard Supervisor: One room. Assistants to Supervisor: Ono room. Committee Reporters: One room. Committee Clerks: Large room. Typistcs: One room. Imloxer lo Hansard: One room. Store-room for charwomen and cupboards.

Apartments will be Required for Legislative Council, as Follow;— Chamber, with seating accommodation for not less than sixty members, on similar lines to that for the House of Representatives. Galleries around Chamber: (a) For public; (b) Speaker's Gallery; (c) Ladies' Gallery; (d) Wives of members; (e) Wives of members of House of Representatives; (f) Hansard; (?) Press; (h) Gallery for members of the House of Representatives-. Speaker's rooms (two): (a) Office; (b) Private room. Chairman of Committees: Office. Clerk of Council: (a) Office; (b) Dressing-room. Clerk Assistant: (a) Office; (b) Dressing-room. Second Clerk Assistant and extra clerk: One large room. Members' Rooms: (a) Sitting-room;'■ (b) Smoking-room. Wailing-rooms (two): (a) Gentlemen; (b) Ladies. Messengers: One large room for five persons. Private Bill Ollice: Conveniently placed common to both Houses and with an access from outside of the building as well as from within. It is desirable to have a small waiting-room in connection with .this office. Record-room (fireproof). Messengers' dressing-room, divided into two by screen partition. Hansard room. Stationery rooms and cupboards.

Ministers' Rooms, Members' Lobby, Etc. Provision must be made for suites of rooms for, say, eight Ministers, each suito to consist of'(a) a room at least 22ft. by lGft.; (b) a secretary's room at least 16ft. by 12ft.; (c) a waiting-room about 12ft. by 10ft.; and (d) typists' room about 12ftby 10ft. Messengers' rcoins (two) convenient to the Ministers' rooms. A Cabinet room about 30ft. by 20ft., with-sec-retaries' rooms (two), each about 16ft. by 12ft., and a largo typists' room for four persons, nnd a waiting-room to be used also as a messengers' room. A spacious loungo lobby common and convenient to both Houses must be provided, which shall' be heated by two large fireplaces in addition to any other moans of heating. A room about 20ft. by 15ft., to be u&ed as post and telegraph oflico, to be provided convenient to the loungo lobby and entrance hall. The necessary lavatory and w.c. accommodation to bo provided; also eight baths with hot and cold water for the uso of members. ■•■•.■

Schedule B of Accommodation to be Provided in Future Extension. Apartments..will be required for" Bellamy's, as follow:—Dining room, to scat 200; bar-room, with counter (not in din-ing-room); room for officer in charge; room for clerk;. pantry find serving-room (one large room); dry store-room; strongroom; store-room, as isolated ns passible; cellar for wines arid beer; billiard-room for at least two tables; kitchen, pantryroam ; scullery; storeroom; vegetableroom; larder; coal and wood room; coolroom; servants'.dining-room; chief cook's office, adjoining, kitchen; bedroom for chief cook; bedroom (one) for sculleryman and man servant; bedroom (one) for second and third cooks; bedrooms (four) for eight men; bathrooms and lavatories; glass and crockery-room (large); linen and towels room (large); cleaning-room for silver; , fruit-room . (small); cigar-room, with gas fire.

Library Accommodation. - Provision must be made for at least 100,000 volumes, allowing seven volumes to the lineal foot of shelving. The steel shelving in the existing library is about 7ft. lin. high, including plinth and cornice, and provision should be made for re-usinsf it. As already mentioned, it is desirablo to have as many of the books as possible in one large hall. In the centre of this hall there will be an office, the balance of the door-space being taken up with tables, chairs, and lounges. An electric book-lift to be provided, connecting galleries with the floor of room. A newspaper room with filing-shelves all round. Chief Librarian's room, at least 24ft. by 15ft. Assistant-Librarian's and Cataloguer's room (one), 15ft. by 15ft. Librarian's staff room, fay 21ft. by 15ft. All the above rooms must be on the principal floor and adjacent to or off the large hall. The following may bo in the basement: —Packing and storing room, adjacent to the bo;ik : lift; room for brooms, parcels, etc.; binder's workshop; roam for maps and charts. A large storage space not less than an area equal to. 80ft. by 50ft., which may bo in a basenvnt, is required for storing bound newspapers and books that are fallen but of frequent requirement.

Committee Rooms. Eight Committee rooms, of dimensions as stated in Schedule A. One or two additional Ministers' rooms, with secretary, typist, and waiting-rcoins adjoining, as stated in Schedule A. A number of rooms of moderate size, not less than six nor more than ten, to be provided for members' use. Law Draftsman and assistants: Four rooms to be provided. The necessary lavatory and w.c. accommodation to be provided. Four more Committee rooms under either Schedule A or B

VIEWS OF ARCHITECTS. "Things arc net 'satisfactory, but there ?i r , e n Sltles to tho c l»«stion," said a Wellington architect yesterday, alluding to tho conditions under which the Government is inviting competitive designs for the new Parliament Buildings. This informant went on to state that in his view the deputation of architects which receiitly waited .upon tho Minister for Public Works in Christchurch had been a little hasty. It would have been better, he opined, to wait until tho Council of the New Zealand Institute had considered the matter and obtained a General expression of opinion from architects throughout the ' Dominion. The assessor (juestion, this architect went On to. state, was one upon which a great deal might be said from different points of view. It did not follow that every architect would endorse the view championed by the deputation in Christchurch. Personally he thought there could be no objection to the name of the assessor being kept secret, provided the right man were selected. To name the assessor beforehand would be of no great assistance to the man who independently worked out an original design. On the other hand, it would be of the utmost service to competitors who made it their business (o meet in every possible way the idiosyncracies of an assessor, rather than put forward the best possible design of their own invention. No doubt it would be very pleasant for competitors to know whether the assessor had a predilection for Gothic or classic, or some other type of design, but the aim of a competition should be to encourage originality. Tho essential thing in regard to the assessor, the architect continued, was that he should be nominated by the president of the 11.1.8.A. Only thus would an impartial scrutiny of plans submitted be secured. If tho Government nominated an assessor, dissatisfaction, and grounds for dissatisfaction would bo bound to appear. Other architects visited concurred to a mnn in the opinion that tho general conditions of competition were unsatisfactory, but several were chary of expressing a detailed opinion, preferring to wait uutil

tho council of the institute had dealt finally with the matter. No fnult was to bo found with the site, according to ono architect. As to the sum allocated for the construction of the building, it was somewhat inengre, but, in his opinion, the design would ultimately be selected irrespective of cost. Hardly _ a .single building had been erected in New Zealand from competitive designs for the amount originally set aside. "I keep out of these competitions," said one outspoken architect, "because generally there is something unsatisfactory about the conditions. I. can look back over nearly every Mich competition that has been instituted in New Zealand, and they wore all uiisalisfaclory. Thirty years ago the Government invited designs for the post office in Wellington, in brick, 'i'hev accepted a design of a building that mid little more brickwork about it than the four walls. A fire occurred, and it cost something like .£17,(100 to reinstate the building. Good designs had been rejected. That is a sample of what has been going on ever since." The admission of the Government architects within the scope of the competition is evidently a sore point, with their outside brethren. One of the latter, questioned yesterday, contended that the Government shouli cither have relied entirely upon its own architects or debarred them altogether from the competition. As things now stood, the Government men had access to information that outsiders could not possibly get no.ir. The Government architects were in touch with ollicials who were to them "Jones, "Brown," or "Smith," although _to outsiders tliey were inac>:fi=s>il>l'! behind barriers of official reserve. It was no use ignoring these things, said the architect above mentioned, they were hound to affect the result of the competition. Moreover, the Government men, in order to prepare their designs, must woik upon thorn in time that had been bought and paid for by the public. To suggest that they should prepare their designs in their cwn snare time, by way of lvorcation, was idle. No private firm would tolerate such a thing for a moment. If a mail sat up half a night working on competitive designs, he would be of little service in his office next morning.