SIX BANK PREMISES

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 31, 31 October 1932, Page 10

SIX BANK PREMISES

New Buildings for Old GROUP OF CONTRACTS Hawke’s Bay; Wellington REVIVAL OF ACTIVITY It is evident that tlie closing months of 1932 will be encouraging ones for the building trade. The .revival of orders’and contracts noted early in the spring is continuing, and the volume of work pending, or actually begun, is considerable. This applies not only to Wellington, but in provincial districts, and especially in Hawke’s Bay where several important rebuilding contracts, arising out of the earthquake disaster of February 1931, have been put in hand. New premises are to be built in Hastings for the Bank of New Zealand. “The Dominion” was informed on Saturday that the successful tenderer for the building was the Fletcher Construction Company, which is to erect a handsome reinforced-concrete structure on modern architectural lines. It is understood that the total cost of the bank, its furnishings and fittings, will be in the vicinity of £12,000. The building will have a frontage of 42 feet on a section 145 feet deep, and the banking chamber, with its plaster-fin-ished walls, will be 70 feet long, with an average width of 35 feet. Planned with an eye to the future, the new bank will be capable of accommodating a staff of 25, and living quarters are provided.for two officers. Earthquake Resisting, The front of the building will be finished to resemble Sydney sandstone and the earthquake-resisting design allows for ample decoration without the danger of overhanging cornices or other concrete work of that nature. The banking chamber extends to the full height of the building which, in the rear, is of two, stories, with strongroom and other offices below and. living quarters above. The interior will be centrally heated with a low-pressure hot-water system. The architects are Messrs. Crichton, McKay, and Haughton, of Wellington. In addition the Bank of New Zealand authorities have instructed the architects to prepare plans for a new bank building in Napier. This will be slightly larger than tlie Hastings branch, and with provision for a bigger staff, though the general features, of the design are expected to be similar. The new Napier branch of the bank will be built not on the old site, but on a more central section at the corner of Hastings and Emerson Streets. Tenders for this contract are to be called in the near future. It was also announced on Saturday that the contract for the construction of new premises for the Bank of Australasia, Napier, had been let to Messrs Totterdell Ltd., Napier. The price is £3075. A Traditional Dignity. This building, though small, will possess the dignity that is traditional of bank architecture. The design is a modern adaptation of a classical style, all projections and superfluous masonry. being eliminated. The principal materials are to be cement and steel in the form of reinforced concrete. On the front of the'building the finish will be cement stucco tinted and applied to represent Sydney sandstone blocks. The main door will be flanked by columns rising nearly to the full height of the building, which will be 30 feet. The premises will have a frontage of 30 feet and a depth of 80 feet. The banking chamber, with interior Woodwork and fittings of polished rimu, walls of cream-textured art plaster, and white ornamental ceiling, will be 28 feet square. A large strongroom, a manager’s room, and other offices will be situated at the rear of the chamber. The architects are Messrs. Atkins and Mitchell, of Wellington. Two New National Banks. Plans are being prepared by the same firm of architects for new premises for the National Bank of New Zealand in both Napier and Hastings. It is understood that each of the buildings will call for an expenditure of about £7OOO, and that tenders for the Napier branch -are to be called almost immediately. Some little time ago it was announced that Messrs. Trevor Brothers had secured a contract for the construction of new premises in Napier for the Union Bank of Australia. Thus no fewer than six bank buildings are about to be constructed in Hawke’s Bay. Tenders have been submitted and are under consideration for the building in reinforced concrete of the Grand Hotel tn Heretaunga Street, Hastings. This modern structure will have two stories with provision for a third. The ground floor will contain three bars, entrance offices and four shops, each of which will have a frontage of 13 feet and a depth of 70 feet, including show windows. On tlie first floor a foyer will lead to the dining-room, with its servery and kitchens beyond, also io two comfortable lounges. There will be 16 bedrooms and a number of new features, including special dressing-rooms. Provision for a maximum amount of sunlight in the various rooms and a simple yet attractive scheme of interior decoration are other outstanding features of the design, which is the work of H. T. Johns and Son, of Wellington. Contracts in Wellington. Several important contracts are pending in Wellington, the principal of these being for the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum on tlie Mount Cook site. Tenders for . this large job, the architects for which are Messrs. Glimmer and Ford, of Auckland, are to close on November 9 at noon. A contract expected to he let soon is for a new factory building for the Empire Printing and Box Manufacturing Company. Tins is to lie built in Douglas Street, off Adelaide Road, at a cost of about £9OOO.

Another projected work is a modern cold store for the Co-operative Dairy Producers’ Freezing Company, Ltd. This is to be constructed on Fryatt Quay. Thorndon, at a cost of about £14.000. The suburbs, too, are sharing in this increasing building activity. Among the contracts announced on Saturday was one for a block of modern shops and flats in Kona Bay, Eastbourne, to be built by Messrs. Upton and Shearer for Mr. B. L. Hammond. The block will be of two stories, built in brick and reinforced concrete, and containing three shops and two flats. The total frontage is 52 feet and the building will be 40 feet deep. Work on the foundations of this building, the architects for which' are Messrs. Crichton, McKay, and Haughton, has already been started.