NEW WELLINGTON COLLEGE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 75, 21 December 1928, Page 8

NEW WELLINGTON COLLEGE

COST £50,000 OR £60,000 ASSEMBLY HALL CENTRAL FEATURE REARRANGEMENT OF GROUNDS PROVIDED Tenders will be called after the liolidavs by Messrs. Swan, and Swan, architects, for the erection of a new Wellington Boys’ College, to replace the old east wooden school, which has done such good service for over half a century. The new college building will be intensely modern aud utilitarian in character, every consideration being given to light, space, and ventilation, while still preserving a fine sense of symmetry in the edifice as a whole. The building is not even to occupy the site of the present school. It is to be set back a little farther south, a little nearer to the back slopes, so that the front line of the new structure will be farther south than the back line of the existing school. Those who know the school and its precincts will get a better idea of the new site when it is stated the Memorial Hall (which will be the.assembly hall of the new college) will form the central architectural feature of the new college, projecting forward considerably from the front line of the new building, which will be a three-story structure, of red brick, with white cement facings (which will accord well with the white .finish of the Memorial Hall). As is shown in the accompanying elevation, the main entrances to the new building will be on either side of the assembly hall. Some idea of the dimensions of the new college can be gained from the measurements. It will have a frontage (W. by N.) of 264 feet by a depth (front'block only) of 48 feet. But the depth of the building is not to be guaged by the front block, for projecting south from this block are two great wings, which give a total depth (from the front elevation) of 195 feet. In between the two back wings will be a level quadrangle 100 ft. by 150 ft., which will form an additional play area as well as providing ample light to all the 16 classrooms in these wings. As these wings extend well back into the sloping hill at the rear of the college, a good deal of excavation will be needed, the spoil from which will go to form an additional area of playground and drives in front of the new building—an area of considerable dimensions when the old school is demolished. On account of the rising ground mentioned, the two back wings, also mentioned, are only three-storied for half their length, and two-storied for the rest. Arrangement of Rooms.

Reverting to the front block, the subground floor on the eastern side provides a woodworkers’ room (52ft. by 33ft.), stores, and a boiler-house for a hot-water radiation system of heating, and on the western side for dressingrooms, shower baths, and a large recreation room (45ft. by 32ft.), with plenty of latrine accommodation In the back. The gymnasium is, of course, under the Assembly Hall. All these rooms will be floored in concrete. On the ground or main floor on the eastern side will be located a large and serviceable laboratory and de-, monstration room, and two staff rooms, and on the western side another chemical laboratory and preparation room, and the headmaster's

room and office. On the top floor there will be further laboratories, preparation rooms, and. four classooms on eithe side. The two back wings will be divided into sixteen large class-rooms —eight in each wing. Eight of these will be 24ft. 6in. by 20ft. Gin., and the other eight will be 27ft. 6in. by 20ft. Gin., so that the days of cramped classroom space at the college are numbered. Every consideration is being given to the lighting of the class-rooms, and in the case of the back-wings the brick-work is limited to panels of structural necessity, the rest of the space being occupied by large manypaned steel-framed windows. Cross ventilation is being provided throughout the school, and even the corridors will be enclosed with opening windows. The roof-line of the new college will scarcely appear in reality from the grounds as it does in ’’ accompanying reproduction of the front elevation, as the roof will not be visit le at all, being hidden by the parapet. The new building is going to mean a re-planning of the grounds immediately in front. Owing to the impingement of St. Mark’s property, the main sports ground has always had certain drawbacks, notably in getting a perfect 440 yards track, but an improvement will be made possible by the proposed extension of the existing ground at the south-west corner, which will be made available by throwing the main drive into the grounds further southward. The whole lay-out will be harmonised, so as to bring all the college buildings into better line, and at the same time provide a good deal more space for play and promenade on the sunny side of the new structure. The new college will probably cost between £50,000 and £60,000. Part of the block should be available for occupation at the resumption of studies in February,-1030.