CIVIC CENTRE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 63, 11 September 1943, Page 8

CIVIC CENTRE

CITIZENS' COMMITTEE

SUGGESTED SCHEME

Much study to the question of a suitable open civic centre for Wellington has been given by the Citizens' Combined Committee, which is representative of various civic bodies, and today the following statement, containing . the conclusions of the committee, was made to "The Post" by Mr. H. S. B. Fletcher, chairman of the committee:—

In approaching a matter of such vital importance as a Civic Centre it is fundamentally-essential to realise that each citizen has a duty to his city; that being done, the usual practice (that is, the line of least resistance) should not be followed. Responsible citizens should resolve to set out to achieve a civic centre which will fulfil its purpose, i.e., the administration of all civic affairs, give unity to the city, and promote the social, intellectual, and moral welfare of the citizens.

MUST BE RESERVED NOW.

In the block bounded by Cuba-Wakefield-Harris Streets there is the nucleus of a really impressive and efficient civic centre, which must be reserved now or lost for all time. To permit the area west of the Town Hall, up to and including the old Library site, to be wholly built over as proposed by the City Council would definitely, show an appalling lack of civic pride. The representatives of civic bodies who have interested themselves in this vital matter suggest that the principal administrative block be located wjhere shown in their plan, i.e., fronting Cuba Street and facing the Town Hall. If considered advisable an underground corridor could lead from the administrative block, to the Town Hall vestibule. A new western front would require to be built to the Town Hall building, but this should be only sufficiently deep to provide certain facilities to the Town Hall. The remainder of the area, right up to the apex of Wakefield-Mercer Streets, should be landscaped, thus giving the Town Hall a stately setting and assisting to ■ indelibly imprint Wellington's importance and greatness upon the minds of all who pass through its civic centre. It may be considered advisable to extend the administrative block northward to the line of the front of the new Public Library, to provide an architectural feature viewed from Willis Street through Mercer Street. Another possible variation would be to modify the layout of Mercer Street on the lines shown' on the City Council's plan, to permit through traffic and provide parking space. . Experience should not be bought when it is possible to profit by the experience of older countries. An outstanding opportunity is open for citizens to apply intelligence and bigness of vision and be ambitious for the prestige of Wellington. Civic pride should enable citizens to rise above. everything commercial and strike to make the civic centre an outstanding achievement, deserving of the gratitude of every citizen and the admiration of all who visit the city. The Civic Centre should be regarded as the keystone to an arch, and around, it should 'be built all that will make for the future greatness of the city and the well-being of its citizens. Surely that is owed to posterity. The intelligent application of common sense and foresight today will provide a civic centre ' unsurpassed in the Southern Hemisphere and befitting Wellington's commercial supremacy.

LITTLE THEATRE,

As shown in the plan of the Citizens-' Combined Committee, it is ' suggested that the most suitable location for the Little Theatre is just across Victoria Street; this could .be reached under cover of verandahs from Willis Street, and surely is a much more suitable location than in the windswept area shown on the council's plan. . The large open area would, in case of an earthquake, provide a safety zone for many thousands of people and could be reached within seconds from a congested and busy area; this fact should not be regarded lightly, as in the event of an earthquake it might mean the saving of many lives. The area of land in the block fronting the Town Hall and depicted on the plan of the Citizens' Combined Committee is* so much larger than the old Education Board and old Library sites at ths back of the Town Hall that there would be no need to disturb Smith and Smith, Ltd., but when the time came that they wished to rebuild their building would need to blend in with and become part of the mam municipal building. ' .^ The Citizens' Combined Committee does not put its plan forward as the "ultimate," but as an indication that the City Council's plan can be very greatly improved upon. The committee has maintained throughout that the best course for the City Council to pursue is to throw,, the design of the civic centre open to public competition.