PARLIAMENT BUILDING: ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION.

Evening Star, Issue 14688, 4 October 1911, Page 3

PARLIAMENT BUILDING: ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION.

The iOOOO First Prize ii esign—Perspective Drawing.

The first prize of £I,OOO in the Parliament Building competition was won by Messrs John Campbell (Government Architect) and Claude Baton, who submitted a perspective drawing from which our illustration is reproduced. The building is in the English Renaissance style of architecture, and it will be noticed that for solidity and massive effect it will resemble the new General Post Office, Wellington. The site adopted will place the north colonnade, shown to the right of the illustration, almost on the line of the present position of Sydney street. It is intended, however, to create a fine elevated site by filling in the hollow between old Government House and the bank on which the old Parliament Building was erected. The new ground-level will be about 12ft above the present level of Sydney street and 33ft higher than Lamb ton quay. The existing high bunk, which is suggested in the drawing, will be terraced. The northern pavilion will extend to within 4 oft of the existing library, with which it can be easily connected by a corridor. Facing the front, in the northern half of the building will be suites of Ministers’ rooms and the Speakers’ quarters. Behind these will, be placed the Legislative Council Chamber. To the left of the main stairway at the south end, behind the colonnade, will bo the Cabinet rooms, and more accommodation for Ministers. The Representative Chamber will be in this half. The projection or pavilion on the south side is intended to contain the principal rooms of the Parliament Library, which will also occupy other portions to the real - , the Library taking practically the whole of the south end. Behind it, near Museum street, is to bo the Parliamentary Restaurant, Bellamy's’. The first portion of the scheme will cover the site from the north side of Sydney street to the corner of the present Parliament Building. When the southern half of the front elevation is completed it will extend nearly to the tower of the existing wooden- building.