NEW BUILDINGS IN LOWER QUEEN-STREET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5630, 2 December 1879, Page 5

NEW BUILDINGS IN LOWER QUEEN-STREET.

The progress of experiment, now becoming general all over Auckland and it 3 suburbs, is nowhere more visible than along the foot of Queen-street, where several new buildings have been lately erected, and still ethers are in progress of construction on the reclaimed ground. ThU movement is only just begun, for we hear of others projected, anl there are many vacant allotments which ere long will also ba occupied. The change th-jt has taken place wilhiu the iass few years by the reclamation of the ground west of Queenatreet Wharf, wbereuu the buildings to which we especially refer have been built, is hardly credible. This work of reclamation is still steadily going on between the two piers, and, when it is completed, it will render available much valuable laud. AmoDg the new edifices which are now being constructed there is one which, from its external appearance, will be an ornament to the wharf, aud deserves special attention. It is being built by Messrs. Ehrenfried Brothers, wholesale brewers, the coutractor baing George Rhodes, jun., aud the architects Messrs. Mahoney and Son. It is an oblong, two storey structure, with a basement, the latter being 90 feet by 30 feet, the first floor 90 feet by 30 feet, and the upper floor 120 feet by 30 feet. The basement or cellar i« intended for the storage for beer, the first floor for storage and bottling, and the upper floor principally for bottling apparatus. The structure is built on a foundation of piles driven through the mud down to the rock. The rest of the walls the whole way up are of brick with mortar made of ground scoria ash and stone lime. The upper floor is supported on cast-iron columns. The entrance to Mr. Ehrenfried's store is by a large central door in the front, on each side of which is a shop with large plate-glass windows, one being already rented to Messra. Minnie aud Day, and the other still unrented.

The front on Queen-street is all finished in Portland cement, with pilasters and cornice on the lower storey. The upper storey has three semicircular-headed windows, ornamented with pilasters, moulded architraves and panelled key-atones. Above this is the main cornice of the building. The sides of the building have panelled pilasters, going up with moulded or carved truss or bracket at each end. Above the main cornice rises a high parapet, with an ornamental capping iu the uuotre, aud finiale at the side. Tbe name of "Ebrenfried Bros., Established fit, the Thames, ISOS," ia here inscribed in larga block letters, and the above presents an exceedingly handsome and tasteful appearance. The front to the back street is also finished in cement, but is a little plainer in style in every way than that on Queenstreet. At the angles of the buildings are quoins which extend up tho two stories, with moulded cornice at top and parapet, and moulded capping. At the biek there are two large doorways—one on the upper, and one on tbe lower floor—for the purpose of hoisting goods by means of a hydraulic lift. On each floor, at tho back, there are two semi-circular-ht'aded windows, with moulded architraves. Tho roof is slated. There wit be no internal fittings, beyond an office which will be partitioned off for Mr. l.hrenfried'a business on the first floor, the building being detigned for storage purposes. Separated from Mr. Ehrenfried's building by fonr vacaut allotments is tho ono built by C. Major, wholesale grocer, which has already been mentioned iu the Herald. It was opened in July last, haviug been built by Gbo. Rhodes, jun., on plana designed by R. Keals and Son, architects. It is two storeys high, with a frontage of 30 feet by 120 deep, and, with the excoption of a shop on the upper Ride, is occupied by Mr. Major for his own business. The entire cost was £2000, including the putting up of a patent American hoist, lately fixed by Archibald Anderson. The shop has been rented by Mrs. Mills, for the sale of confectionery, fruit, and tobacco, acd is fitted up with two private sitting-rooms for ladies, neatly furniehed.