THE CIVIC CENTRE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 115, 12 November 1930, Page 12

THE CIVIC CENTRE

A NEW PROPOSAL

TO LEAVE FIRE STATION

ARCHITECT'S SUGGESTION

Tsetß^ay a new turn was given the.arbitration proceedings between the City Council and tho Fire Board regarding the civic centre scheme and the taking over by the council of the fire station site when the council offered a new substitute station site, in Cablo street. To-day another new proposal was brought forward, an alternative scheme for a civic centre proposed by Mr. Gray Young. This scheme proposes an open space to the west of the Town Hall, towards the present library, and the erection of . new city offices on the fire station block, the station to remain where it is at present. Mr. W. Gray Young, in reply to Mr. Watson, said that ho had had a wide, experience of architectural work, and had acted as a judge in the Mount Cook National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum competition, and, also for the Auckland civic square competition, probably two of the most ambitious schemes put forward in New Zealand. He had collaborated with Mr. \V." Turnbull and Mr. Holdgate in the preparation of plans for altering the present fire station to suit the brigade for a considerable period, at an estimated cost of £15,000. The work so planned, he was satisfied, would be quite satisfactory. A new station such as would be required, he estimated, would cost £56,758. The present fire statiou site was preferablo to any of the proposed substitutes. POSITION OF OPEN SPACE. Mr. Young said that he fully agreed ■with what had been said of the value of open spaces, and he realised the difficulties • with which Messrs. Page, Crichton, and Fearn had been faced. One of the necessary aspects considered by the architects was the architectural effect which would be brought about by the erection of new buildings in relation to the Town Hall, but to his mind the making -of additions to the hall would be much in the direction of putting new wine into old bottles. The Town Hall was monumental in design, /but not at all in accord with modern practice, which was to embody much more window space. • * "The design of building has changed since then," said Mr. Young. "We are passing through almost a glass age. . . .An addition to the Town Hall for office accommodation should be designed in this modern manner, and I cannot see how these additions can be carried out without either making an unhappy combination of old and new buildings or else building a building to harmonise with the hall, and so undermine to a certain extent the health of employees through not giving them the .'maximum amount of sunlight and ventilation." Sir Frederick Chapman: . '.'All over the world you have combinations of styles, even in cathedrals. In fact, some of them gain charm from that fact." Mr. Young replied that that was so, but there would be difficulties in combining two styles such as those of the Town Hall and the modern. "Yesterday was one of our best days, beautifully sunny,"remarked Mr. Young, "and so is to-day, and yet look at these electric lights in this chamber!" Mr. Young continued that he could not see how architectural harmony could be achieved under the architects' plans, and considered that the additions would always retain the appearance of additions. AN EARTHQUAKE PROBLEM. There was another important aspect, the joining of two types of building ■which would have different rhythms under earthquake movements, with the result that one would act as a ram against the other. That could be overcome by strengthening the Town Hall and by carrying special beams across it, an expensive business. The difference in rhythm could also be met by keeping the new building separated from the old, but there were corridor 'difficulties. ■ Glasgow had somewhat the same problem, and had erected the additions to the City Hall entirely apart on the other side of the street, from the hall. Birmingham and Manchester had adopted the same plan. SETTING ON WRONG- SIDE. : The proposed lay-out in front of tho Town Hall, as suggested by the committee of; architects, continued Mr. Young, was wrong' in principle. It had been «aid that an open space would give the Town Hall a dignified setting, but, from his observations, he considered that very few people would see the hall in that dignified setting, as 95 per cent. cf the people, approached the Town Hall from either Cuba street or Willis street, and thus the setting would be on;the wrong side of the hall. The effect would be much the same as when one viewed the Parliamentary Buildings- from Hill street —the setting was beyond, not before, the buildings. Sir Fredrick Chapman remarked that lie had his doubts whether Wellington people really saw anything of fine detail' and setting. "If you point out 'any architectural feature all you get is: 'Well, I never saw that before.' " Moreover, continued Mr. Young, he aid not think that it would be possible to obtain an architectural unity between a new library, built on the apex of the fire station block, the Town Hall, and additions on the other side of Cuba street,' the Civic Chambers on the corner of Cuba, and Wakefield streets, and a miscellaneous collection of other buildings round about. He proposed that the new city offices and library should be erected on the fire station block, and that the open space should be created on the western side of the Town Hall. .In that event, said Sir Fredrick Chapman, the new city buildings and the fire station would not harmonise. Mr. Watson: "I can say that the Fire Board would voluntarily enter into a covenant that in the event of rebuilding at a future date the new building would be made to harmonise with the city buildings." SEVERAL ADVANTAGES. That plan, said Mr. Young, would entail the building of a new front to the Town Hall, which could be made considerably more convenient, and would give the hall the finer setting for the majority of people approaching the hall. Further, the wide street, on either side, would add to tho open space, which would be much better sheltered from wind, would be sunnier, and the gathering of large numbers of people would not entail the stopping of traffic, as was necessary at present. The open space which the architects suggested would be as wind-swept as the space at Clyde quay. The new library could be built at the apex of the fire station triangle witli green sward at its eastern entrances. Were- the Town Hall kept separate it would be a much simpler matter to alter or add to it, should that become necessary in future, whereas in ihe other schemes great difficulties would be offered by the- steel-frame

building adjoining. Mr. Young contended, that his proposal would give a more effective arrangement and would give also cheaper municipal offices. In reply to Mr. O'Shea, Mr. Young said that he did not consider that the present Town Hall could be altered to harmonise satisfactorily with additions erected in accordance with modern ideas. , n Not one person in a hundred would see the Town Hall in its setting as suggested by the Committee of Architects, said the witness in answer to another question, but fully half the people o± Wellington would see such a vista as he had proposed. (Proceeding.)