THOSE DESIGNS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 84, 10 April 1911, Page 8

THOSE DESIGNS.

ARCHITECTS AND THE GOVERNMENT. . ALLEGED UNFAIR COMPETITION. Day by day the protests thicken against the conditions framed by the - Public Works Department of the competition in designs for the new Parliament Buildings. Ever sine© the peculiar specification was outlined in The. Post a month ago, members of the New Zealand Institute of Architects have been complaining that the framing of the condition* leaves some glaring loopholes foi-.the entry of an undesirable element. Following a meeting of Wellington members of the" "institute" last week, on© of the number was authorised -n> make a statement. "The public," says the architect's representative, "are not materially concerned in. the architect who majr be employed, excepting incidentally, but they are very much concerned in the building itself, and it behoves us to see and, a*s far as possible, insist that not only tha best design shall be chosen, but that j that design shall be, as far as possible, j the best that can be produced. This j being so, we do not ieel quite certain, j that the Dominion's interests have been j best served by cxmfining the competition to those residing within the confines of our coasts. However, Parliament decided, otherwise, and we are satisfied to think that we probably have as high a standard of architectural talent as there is an, any other country of the same size as -New Zealand. It is, however, obvious that we must get our most talented men to compete j otherwise only unsatisfactory designs will be sent in and no good will result. In order to accomplish this a feeling of perfect confidence in the bona fides of the competition must be established. Now, has the Government established this confidence? Opinions appear to differ as to matters of detail in this conditions set forth, but there is a. general unanimity felt,, we believe, among architects, on two points — (1) thai- the judging should be done outside the colony and that the judge or judges should be absolutely beyond the influence of the Go% eminent, and should be chosen by the council of the parent architectural body of the Empire, the Royal Institute of British Architects ; (2) that no Government officer should h& allowed to enter into the competitions. To th.4' ordinary man this last seems such a reasonable proviso that we wonder that any Minister should hesitate a mbmerib as. to whether ho should allow any of his officers to enter into speculative work in competition with outside taxpayers,- whether that "work be Government or private. It is assumed that each officer in th.6 Government service is fully employed and that his whole ability (in his particular voca-tic-n) is at his country's service. This being ao, how is it possible that any of these- men could, in his spare tima (time which is 'spare' by the way to use for. recreation and to make him more fit for his occupation next 'day), grapple with the enormous work involved in. bcheming out and planning a building worth over a hundred thousand pounds?" GOVERNMENT AECHITECT'S POSITION. The architects submit : — (1) Mr. Campbell (Government Architect) drafted the competition conditions which are condemned as unsatisfactory in some very important features by the New Zealand Institute of Architects; (2) Mr. Campbeil is alldwed to compete on his own conditions; (3) the draughtsmanship, required by Mr. Campbell can be done in Government time, and that Mr. Campbell is not appreciably out of pocket by being permitted to compete with private architects, whose designs will cost -jurything. from £150 upwards; (4) •Mr. Campbell or other Government competitors may have stategie advantages, (for example iv the matter of information as to probable requirements) which may be very difficult or impossible for 'outside architects to get. j These points were briefly referred to -the Government Architect by a representative of The Post to-day. Mr. Campbell replied that he ivas acting under instructions, and he .had no comment to make on the architects' points.