THE WAR MEMORIAL SITE

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 226, 12 June 1923, Page 5

THE WAR MEMORIAL SITE

4 LOOKING AHEAD. , Sir.—May I add yet anothey suggestion to those already made; one which appears to me to have great advantages from the town-planning point of view; for the above object. There is a triangular piece of land at the corner of Bowen Street, between the Turnbull Library and Lambton Quay, which is occupied only by old wooden buildings, which however, interesting as early history, are now in their decrepitude a blot on the city at its most important point. Let , this land, be taken, cleared of buildings, providing an open grass space in front of the library. Let Molesworth Street be carried straight down to join Lambton Quay at this point, providing another vista. A tram line to Karori could sweep round the library, through the ancient museum building and on into .Sydney Street. The consequent rearrangement of streets and land will provide sites for the museum and for the national war memorial, the latter on Lambton Quay, where it will be close to the debouching point of all visitors to Wellington, from the new railway station and ferry wharves. The future new Government buildings, I am sorry to understand, are to come up to the ptreet line like any factory or warehouse, and will not as at present, stand with dignity in their own grounds, making the present sitggestion all the more desirable for this important spot which is our national centre and heart, and which should not be constricted by lack of wide minded imaginative foresight. The provision and rearrangement of this space might well be Wellington’s contribution to the national project and might include any form of special local memorial which might be thought suitable.

It seems to me a thousand pities if the opportunity now given bv the existence of such ancient buildings only on this land, for making the legislative heart of New Zealand a worthy centre of our national Ife where New Zealand can welcome Royal and other notable visitors in dignified surroundings, should be thrown away, by narrow commercialism or want of civic imagination.—l am. etc., * NEW ZEALANDER.