“A WALLED CITY”

Evening Star, Issue 23415, 4 November 1939, Page 12

“A WALLED CITY”

ARCHITECT DESCRIBES EXHIBITION IMMENSE STANDARDISATION PLAN SAVING OF £40,000 [Special to the 1 Star.’] WELLINGTON, November 4. “ The idea is that it is a walled city ” was the way in which the Centennial Exhibition architect, Mr Edmund Anscombe, described bis planning in a phrase. With his assistance your correspondent was able to describe the whole lay-out of the Exhibition site of 60 acres after months of labour had completely obliterated a great sand dune area, transforming it into a beautiful expanse whereon the landscape gardener has done wonders, and the architect has grouped imposing, although not gaudy, buildings in the most impressive fashion. . n ~, . The best exterior view of the Lxninition is got by standing at the Kmgsford Smith entrance and looking along the vista of 1,700 ft which is dominated at the back of the exhibition tower, ] 55ft high. This is Centennial Avenue, or as the architect planned it, the avenue of flags. From the centre branch oft north and south broad boulevards leading to the sound shells. Thus is formed a gigantic cross of open spaces covering seven acres and capable of taking a gathering of at least 100,000 people, which is a reasonable estimate of possibilities, because 84,000 spectators attended on occasion the open-air attractions at Dunedin Exhibition. WELLINGTON’S WINDS. “ Wo have to recognise that Wellington has its winds,” said Mr Anscombe, “ so I have enclosed as large an area as possible to give protection from the weather. Either one sound shell or the other will provide sheltered conditions.” The first big building on the right, looking down'this central avenue, is the Australian Court, with its immense plate-glass windows from ground floor to roof. Facing it on the left is the equally imposing United Kingdom Court, a complete exhibition in itself. At the centre of the avenue, on the cross-roads, stands a splendid group of statuary 26ft high. There are three Maori figures in bronze depicting the sighting of New Zealand by Kupe. ■ Rows of pylons extend on both sides of the avenue, carrying flagpoles on an angle, displaying multi-coloured streamers, which brighten up the vista in daylight and combine at night with the two long reflecting pools to enhance the effects of the special coloured lighting. The five, principal exhibition buildings are grouped together in an open courtyard of spacious dimensions, with the tower block as the central feature. This big enclosure gives further protection from the weather, and enables the visitor to enter all the principal sections excepting the amusement park and the Australian and British courts without going into the open. Perpendicular lines of the tower in high relief carrv coloured electric lights which will be reflected for hundreds of yards in the pools in the middle of Centennial Avenue. Over the entrance to the tower block is a magnificent sculptured frieze in low relief. This fine work, carried out by Mr Trethowey of Christchurch, is 90ft long and eight feet in depth, its figures depicting the whole human story of New Zealand development, from the coming of the Maori, right through all phases to the achievements of to-day in agriculture and science. MODERN MATERIALS.

Although immense, quantities of timber and galvanised iron have been used in the structures, there i- nothing visible to suggest their temporary character, thanks to the modern fibrous building sheets which give so substantial an appearance and take paint so effectively. This material lends itself to good design, and. toned off in light buff, gives a mass effect pleasing to the eye. All the road surfaces were treated with a penetration mixture into which was rolled brick chips—a dustless, non-glaring surface adding its own note of colour to the general scheme.

The biggest standardisation scheme ever applied to a building in the Southern Hemisphere has been carried out by the architect, who explained that every section of the exhibition buildings is made up on a standard dimension of 30ft by 30ft. “ The contractors,” said Mr Anscombe, “ grasped this system so thoroughly that the roof trusses —there are over 1,500 in the buildings—were all made in the machine shop and were available for placing in position on any roof, without the carpenters having to use a saw. But for standardisation, the buildings would probably have cost £30,000 to £40,000 more that the actual amount, which including the interior lighting, is approximately £250,000.”

Exhibition design has been a professional hobby of Mr Anscombe, whose experience goes hack to the Melbourne exhibition of 1889. He was actively concerned in the building of the St. Louis World’s Fair, and the effective design of the Dunedin exhibition was his work.