WORK IN CONCRETE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1938, Page 12

WORK IN CONCRETE

WELLINGTON'S CATHEDRAL

ARCHITECT ABROAD

Early in April of this year Mr. Cecil Wood, of Christchurch, architect for the proposed Anglican Cathedral in Wellington, left New Zealand to study abroad the latest methods of treatment when the building medium is concrete, as it is to be in the case of the Wellington Cathedral. . Before his departure Mr. Wood expressed the view that these should be found on the Continent, and that certainly they would be found in Sweden and America. On June 3 Mr. Wood wrote to his Lordship the Bishop of Wellington (the Rt. -Rev. H. St. Barbe Holland) from Stockholm, and this opinion his letter shows is confirmed by what he had seen to that date in England and on the Continent. Mr. Wood mentions having had a good look round in England, but there ecclesiastical work was in stone and in brick, and he had not found that for which he was searching. Liverpool Cathedral, he writes, is in a category much of its own, being a twentieth' century product, and carried out delightfully with a free Gothic feeling, particularly in its detail. When the naye was complete, the enormous proportions of the building would be evident. The Cathedral, however, be thought, was dark. After having looked at the glass in the Cathedral from the inside on a bright day he was convinced that with the strong sunlight in New Zealand the colour tone of the memorial glass in the Wellington Cathedral must be heavy. . Going down to Salisbury, Mr. Wood visited St. Mark's Church and Salisbury Cathedral. At Salisbury Cathedral the masons were repairing the stone flagging of the main aisle, and they gave him a small piece that had lain there for hundreds of years. "One can imagine the many thousands of feet that have trodden on it," says Mr. Wood. A visit was also paid to Chester Cathedral, where doors were unlocked for Mr. Wood that are not usually I opened for visitors. This naturally made his visit to this cathedral the more interesting. He was particularly struck with the rich possessions of the cathedral, and the cathedral close with its surroundings in the afternoon sun also made an impression. They looked simply lovely. Mr. Wood visited the National War Memorial at Edinburgh, a work, he says, in which regimental detail has been marvellously carried out. The question of the acoustics of the Wellington Cathedral was referred to Mr. Bagenal, one of the world's authorities, who at the time the letter was written Mr. Wood mentions as being busy making his professional report of the plans submitted to him. He was to meet Mr. Bagenal on his return to London. BRILLIANT SWEDISH WORK. From England Mr. Wood went to the Continent. What he chiefly expected! to find was in Sweden, Germany, or Italy, or in all three countries. He had been to Denmark and had finished his visit to Stockholm. That night he was leaving for Gbthenberg, an important Swedish town bordering the North Sea. He spent almost a week' in Stockholm and found it a delightfully interesting city of one million people without a sign of poverty or slums. The older buildings were hot interesting, but those erected since the war in some' cases beggared description. Copenhagen, Mr. Wood did not find as attractive as Stockholm-. There was one very modern church in Copen-' hagen built entirely of yellow bricks. It was a very clever conception, but not to be compared with what he saw in Stockholm. There were some brilliant architects practising in Stockholm. Why they produced such clever work compared with the British was difficult to understand. It was in a class almost by itself. Their work was so fine in its conception, detail, colour, and in its surprises. Their glass, fabrics, and metal work were the finest he had seen. This also applied to their sculpture and mural work, of which there was a fair assortment. Yet strangely enough neither Denmark nor Sweden had produced great painters. Although traditional there were two ■ churches in Stockholm that were modern in the sense that they had been erected recently, Mr. Wood continues. Both were most appealing. They were of brick, not concrete, but their interiors might well be* designed for concrete work. Were he to return to New Zealand without going on to Gothenberg, Germany, and Italy, as planned, he would consider his visit to Sweden more than worth while and would almost be satisfied were there] nothing more to see. As a result of what he had seen he believed that much of the problem of the treatment of the interior of the Wellington Cathedral had been solved. The interior that stood out was that of the Hogalids Church, the architect for which was Mr. Tengbom. The interior of this! church was very impressive in its simplicity, colour, in a subdued form, playing a very large part. Mr. Wood adds that his visit to the church coincided with a very large children's service. The lighting fixtures were really satisfying. Mr. Wood states that the Swedes are still experimenting regarding the external jjse of concrete. He was in touch with.two concrete organisations in London, but from the impressions gained he thought as much was known in New Zealand about the material itself. In Stockholm, an external application of coloured cement was'still being used. The general tone was tan colour. Gothenberg rivalled Stockholm, where, according to his information, •the Concert Hall and City Town Hall stood out as wonderful examples of modern building. He would see these and" also a'modern church designed by a man of repute. "WORK OF THE CENTURY." The City Hall of Stockholm, commenced since the war, was regarded as the work of the century- It was all so marvellously clever that one stood open-mouthed with amazement. Much of the interior of the Concert Hall building in Stockholm was in the same category. This concluded his impressions briefly to the date of writing. There were still Germany, Italy, and the new cathedral at Washington to see.

Mr. Wood's time has been fully occupied. He had done a great amount of travelling and made many inspections of various buildings. Most of his travelling, he had done at night in order that he might have full use of the .daylight.. However, the Swedish experience, he concluded, had been worth the long journey alone.