PROGRESS IN H.B.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 271, 31 October 1932, Page 7

PROGRESS IN H.B.

RENEWED BUILDING ACTIVITY IMPORTANT WORKS PLANNED. TWO BANKS FOR HASTINGS. It is understood that the building of six new banks to replace those destroyed by last year’s earthquake is about to be put in hand in Hastings and Napier. Two of the new buildings will be erected in Hastings—for the National Bank of New Zealand and for the Bank of New Zealand—and additional works of importance will be the erection of the new Hastings Fire Station, tenders for which are shortly to be called, and tenders for the new Grand Hotel which are under consideration. Flans of the new Grand Hotel and of the two new Hastings banks have already been described in the "Tribune.’l The new fire station, which has been designed by the Associated Architects, of Hastings, will be situated at the aorner of Hastings street and Eastbourne street, and will be a two-storeyed building with a frontage of 64 feet to Hastings street and a depth of 62 feet exclusive of the workshop to be situated at the rear of the station. The fire station will be built on the most modern lines and so as to provide in the most ample way with the requirements of fire brigade work and equipment. On the ground floor there will be six bedrooms for single ffremen living on the premises, a watch-room, aud an apparatus room. The upper floor will be occupied by a flat consist- i mg of three bedrooms for- the care- ' taker and his family, a sitting room aud breakfast room, a meeting room ( for the Fire Board, a social room for i the men, and a supper room, kitchen, ' and reading room. 1 Another noteworthy contract was • begun last week, when the erection of , a two-storeyed block of shops and liv- , ing quarters, situated opposite the Mu- { nicipal Buildings in Heretaunga street, . was put in hand. The successful tenderer for the Bank 1 of New Zealand building in Hastings, it is understood, was the Fletcher Construction Company, which is to erect a handsome reinforced-concrete struc- 1 ture on modern architectural lines. It is understood that the total cost of the bank, its furnishings and fittings, will be in the vicinity of £12,000. The building will have a frontage of 43 feet on a section 145 feet deep. The front of the building will be ' finished to resemble Sydney sandstone . and the earthquake-resisting design al- , lows for ample decoration without the danger of overhanging cornices or other concrete work of that nature.

THE NAPIER BANKS. In addition the Bank of New Zealand authorities have instructed the architects to prepare plans for a new bank building in Napier. This will be slightly larger than the Hastings branch, and with provision for a bigger staff, though the general features of the design are expected to be similar. The new Napier branch of the bank will be built not on the old site, but on a more central section at the corner of Hastings and Emerson streets. Tenders for this contract are to be called in the near future. It was also announced on Saturday that the contract for the construction of new premises for the Bank of Australasia, Napier, had been let to Messrs Totterdell Ltd., Napier. The price is £3075. - - This building, though small, will possess the dignity that is traditional of bank architecture. The design is a modern adaptation of a classical style, all projections and superfluous masonry being eliminated. The principal materials are to be cement and steel in the form of reinforced concrete. On the front of the building the finish will be cement stucco tinted and applied to represent Sydney sandstone blocks. The main door will be flanked by columns rising nearly to the full height of the building, which will be 30 feet. The premises will have a frontage of 30 feet and a depth of 80 feet. The banking chamber, with interior woodwork and fittings of polished rimu, walls of cream-textured art plaster, and white ornamental ceiling, will bo 28 feet square. A large strongroom, a manager’s room, and other offices will be situated at the rear of the chamber. The architects are Messrs Atkins and Mitchell, of Wellington. TWO NEW NATIONAL BANKS. Plans are being prepared by the Mme firm of architects for new premises for the National Bank of New Zealand in both Napier and Hastings. It is understood that each of the buildings will call for an expenditure of about £7OOO, and that tenders for the Napier branch are to be called almost immediately} Some litfle tune ago it was announced that Messrs. Trevor Brothers had secured a contract for the construction of new premises in Napier for the Union Bank of Australia. Thus no fewer than six bank buildings are about to be constructed in Hawke's Bay.

Tenders have been submitted and are 'under consideration for the building in reinforeed concrete of the Grand Hotel in Heretaunga Street, Hastings. This modem structure will have two storeys with provision for a third. The ground floor will contain three bars, entrance offices and four shops, each qf which will have a frontage of 13 feet and a depth of 70 feet. Including shop windows. On the first floor n foyer will load to the diningroom, with its scrverv anti kitchens beyond, also to two comfortable lounges. There will be Id bedrooms and a nnmltcr of new features, including special diewing-rooms. Provision for a maximum amount of sunlight in the various rooms and a simple yet attractive scheme of interior deywation are other outstanding features f the design.