THE NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 250, 31 August 1864, Page 4

THE NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

Amongst the plans submitted for the approval of the Public Buildings' Commissioners, a large proportion arc designs for a Government House. It is our intention on the present occasion, to malce a few remarks on tlie interior arrangements of these, and their adaptability to the.purpose for which tliey are designed. Tlie exterior appearance, though of some moment, is fur from being the chief desideratum in ft residence. The interior domestic space, convenience, and a proper laying off of the several rooms and offices in their own departments is a matter of first importance^ One great desideratim in a Colonial Government House is space for dancing, and in but one of the plans submitted to the Commissioners do we find this want fully attended to. Wc may some day have a genial family man, with_ a liking for [European society, who will exercise l the hospitality of an inglisli gentleman in. Government House, nnd therefore, we think room should be provided him to do so. In tlie plan marked " Como," Ko. 18, we find perhaps, the greatest accommodation of tins kind, the rooms too are of a good height, 18 feet, and the bed-rooms large and airy. Altogether there is an area of 7,170 superficial feet, llie ground floor contains the following rooms : Dining room, 40x25 ; drawing room, 42x25 ; hall, -13x32; breakfast room, 28x25; Governor's room, 42x25. Tliose rooms are so consi rue ted as to all communicate with each other by means of sliding doors, 16 feet in width, so that when occasion required they might be thrown into one large ball room. The- arrangements of the general plan of the bnilding are good. There is a carriage portico to the hall, so ill at. persons will alight in any weather dry, and cloakrooms have been conveniently added to the hall. The grand staircase leads above to a ladies'drawing room, 37x25 on the upper floor, and is lighted by a lantern light. The bed rooms are large and comprise eleven principal I rooms, and one state bedroom 37x25. Ihere are dressing rooms attached to most of the principal bedrooms, and bath rooms communicating with these. 'Ibe servants' rooms are seven in number, four for female and three for male domestics, each set of apartments being reached by separate staircases. The kitchen is large, and possesses the qualification of being near the dining room. The ofliees in connection with it are extensive and very complete. IS'o. 13, "Aurora," has on]}' an area of 2,625 superficial feet. The ball room accommodation consists of the dining and drawing room and hall, 40x25, '10x25, and 25x25 respectively. There is a great defect in this design, the waterclosets arc directly connected with the principal rooms. This alone condemns the whole plan. The arrangement for the bed rooms and the kitchens are also very defective. There are only six bedrooms altogether. 14. A.J.A.B.C. and D. is not worthy of notice at all. 17. " Newington Hall," does not, we think, come up to the mark. The rooms on the ground floor afford the same space as No. 13, for an extemporised ball-room —the area in superficial sect is 2,025. The Governor's room and Secretary's room are, we see, separated by the Hall. The design is poor, and the passages are straggling and narrow. There are, in all, 11 bedrooms. m 22. Era. This design is very elaborately got up, but the architect has sacrificed his space for the sake of having a grand staircase, which causes the bed-rooms to he very small; several of them are only 11x10. some 12x11. The two largest arc 18x17. The dining-room, draw-ing-room, and hall are 13 x 30, *13 x 30, and 54' x 30 feet respectively, giving an area of 4,200 superficial feet available as a ball-room. There are 9 bed-rooms. , 24. "Con." We confess to not understanding the details of this plan. 25. " Uno." The drawing-room, dining-room and hall, which can be extemporised as one room, are'lox2s, 4U x 25, and 25 x 30 respectively. The hall is, however, paved with tiles, winch would be inconvenient for a ball-room, the space is 2,750 superficial feet. The kitchen is a long way from the dining-room. Of 7 bed-rooms, 3, only, have dressing-rooms, and they are lit from the bed rooms by borrowed lights.

4. "Lux." Tno available bull-room here is tlie junction of drawing, dining-room, and hall, 40 x 25. --10 x 25, and 25 x2O respective]}*. The

area is 2.500 superficial feet. There is no outer hall, which is a great disadvantage, and tho cloak-room is on the opposite side of the hall to the entrance; so that when all these rooms are used as a ball-room, part of the space must be crossed over to get to the cloak-room. The Secrctaiy's room, too, in this plan, is unconnected with the Governor's. The kitchen, we notice, is onty 22 x 14. and 11 feet high. There are 12 bed-rooms in all.

5. " Why castle, wry" has rather more superficial space available us ball-room, namely, 3,044 feet: drawing-room, dining-room, and hall, •W x 25, 40 x 25, and ".IS x 23 respectively. There are 11 bed-rooms. This plan calls for no special comment.

7. •' Tudor." This plan takes the second place as presenting ball-room accommodation, containing a bout two-thirds the area that " Como" does, being 4.325 superficial feet. The drawing-room, dining-room, and liall are 25 x 40, 25 x 40. and 25 x 03 respectively. The watercloset and nursery are. over the Governor's room. There are 11 bed-rooms in all. This plan is evidently designed by a novice in architecture. as the upper walls are three feet thick. 1. " Yours in haste." The available area for ball-room here is only 2,(527 feet. This design has n handsome and elaborated exterior, but the interior is very incomplete. 2. '* (TX)." Here there is an area of 3,440 feet to be obtained by throwing open the hall, drawing-room, ami dining-room, JO x 3(5, 40 x 25, 40x25. There are no cloak-rooms, however, and the Governor's rooni is small, as is also the kitchen.

4. Labor A'inc-it." All tlje ball iocommodation here is 2325 feet. The hall is only 13 feet in width, the dining and drawing-rooms, each 40 x 25. The library is only imperfectly lit from a small ccntral court. The ground-floor is only 14 feet in height. The bath-room is, we perceive, over the billiard-room.