ANOTHER STATE BLOCK

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 2, 28 September 1943, Page 4

ANOTHER STATE BLOCK

Wellington Project

TEMPORARY STRUCTURE NEAR PARLIAMENT

Another large Government departmental block is being constructed at the rear of Parliamentary Buildings, on the corner of what was Museum Street (before that thoroughfare was closed) and Sydney Street, immediately to the north of the “Bowen Street Lake” (the site of (N.Z. Broadcasting House). This (building will have a frontage to the west ('Museum Street) of 125 ft. and one of 85ft. to Sydney Street. Barring two light areas at the rear, the structure will cover the entire block to a height of two stories.

The type of (building is not new to Wellington. To builders it is known as a temporary-permanent structure, similar in almost every respect to the building the Government erected for the R.N.Z.A.F.’s former headquarters in Bunny Street. It is being given a solid foundation of reinforced concrete, strong enough to carry another story in the future should such a necessity arise. The superstructure will be of timber and stucco, a form of construction that is calculated to withstand earthquake strain. Near the west centre of the block a big excavation is being made for a basement, where the furnaces of the central heating system will be located. An extremely wet September has delayed progress on the excavation work. The plans for the new building have been prepared by the Government Architect’s department- Its construction Is being carried out by Mr. Arthur Lemmon, the contractor who built the new Services •Vocational Centre recently for the Government-