DECISION TO BUILD

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 10, 6 October 1932, Page 8

DECISION TO BUILD

National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum START NEXT YEAR The construction of the building on Mount Cook for the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum will be commenced early in the New Year. This decision was mtide by the general committee of the trustees at a meeting on Tuesday. . , The Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, presided in the absence of the Prime Minister, and there were present the Hou. A. Hamilton, Minister of Internal Affairs, Dr. P. Marshall, Mr. W. R. B. Oliver, Director of the Dominion Museum. Mr. F. E. Greenish, representing the Netv Zealand Institute of Architects, Messrs. G. A. Troup, G. Shirtcliffe, B. C. Aston, New Zealand Institute, C. J. B. Norwood, chairman of the ’Harbour Board, Malcolm Fraser, Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs, F. H. Bass, secretary, and F. C. Ford, of Glimmer and Ford, architects. Mr. Ford reported that the working drawings of the National Gallery and Museum were practically completed. These had been designed in detail in such a manner as to provide for two schemes, a major and a minor (or modified) scheme. The former extends over the whole of the area at Mount Cook, to within a road’s width from the Technical College building, but the minor scheme provides for a structure that will extend roughly about two-tblrds of the ultimate depth of the main building (north and south). Having in view the money that is in sight at present, and the sum that will be available during the next two years for the work, the trustees decided to call for alternate tenders for the two schemes, and on the information such tenders afford will depend which of the two schemes will be put in hand at once. - Reasons put forward at the meeting for proceeding with the work with all dispatch were the large number of men that such a scheme of construction will employ, not only actually on the site, but In the stone quarries and brickyards and steel works, and the chance of getting work done while costs generally are down. There was no difference of opinion as to the wisdom of proceeding with the work with all dispatch, now that the working drawings are complete. Tenders will be advertised for prior to the end of the present month. As tenderers will have to be given three or four months to go into .details before submitting their prices,' it is scarcely likely that an actual start with the work can be made before March next, but it should be in full swing throughout the whole of the next two years as from that month.