THE MELBOURNE PREMISES OF THE NEW ZEALAND INSURANCE COMPANY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7922, 14 April 1887, Page 5

THE MELBOURNE PREMISES OF THE NEW ZEALAND INSURANCE COMPANY.

The Melbourne Herald gives the following account of the building of the New Zealand Insurauce Company in Melbourne :— The premises of the New Zealand Insurance Company, in the course of erection in Collins-street West, will form another of the many ornate structures which go to mako this public thoroughfare what it is—namely, the finest street in the southern hemisphere. The building operations will soon be finished, and we propose, meantime, to give an idea of what the offices will be like when completed. . The edifice consists of five storeys and a basement, and measures 110 feet long. The facade to Collina-street iB 36 feet wide by 82 feet in height to the top of the parapet. The basement storey is constructed of flue-axed Lethbridge stone in_ massive blocks, the basement itself being entered from Collins-street by a flight of stone steps and hydraulic lift. The ground floor contains three arches of enriched buff terra cotta, with clustered shafts of polished grey granite from Harcourt, having red granite caps and bases from Peterhead, Scotland. The apandrils over these arches are of red terra cotta. The first floor of the next storey has four windows in the front, the two entrance ones being equilateral, pointed, and projected for--ward to form a bay window carried on terra cotta groining, and small granite corbel shafts. The windows of the second floor are five equilateral pointed Gothic arche3, with red granite shafts and freestone caps and bases. Between these two orders is a friezo, bearing the name of the company, and supported on highly ornate corba) table, containing rich tracery. The upper floor contains an arcade of eleven arches on grey granite shafts, the front wall being recessed behind this arcade, and having, windows opposite every alternate arch. The main cornice is carried above this arcade, and is supported by red terra cotta groining and surmounted by terra cotta balustrading, pressed with quatrefoils. The top, or fifth story is treated as an attic, and has bold dormer windows, enriched with terra cotta tiles. The spandrila over the arches from first and second floors are also to be enriched with encaustic tiles. The main entrance of the building is through the easternmost of the three arches on the ground floor, which, approached by a bold flight of bluestone steps, leads into a corridor, from which entrance is gained to the office of tho New Zealand Insurance Company—on the ground floor by glass doors in pointed Gothic arches, and to the offices to lot on the upper floor by a bold staircase, and a hydraulic lift to be fitted up with all the latest improvements. The lift will travel at a high rate of speed, and will have every precaution to ensure absolute safety, and prevent possibility of accident in case of a breakage of any of its parte. The hydraulic power will be supplied from a water tank filled by a gas engine, bo that its action will be at all times uniform, and not dependent on the Yan Yean pres sure, which is liable to fail at the most important moment—namely, in hot weather. The lift cage will be fitted up and upholstered in a most handsome manner, and the doors leading to the well of the lift on each floor will be provided with safety locking apparatus, so that they can be only opened wheu the lift is opposite them. Strong rooms r.ro provided on each floor, and the officoti are so arranged that they can bo let separately or in mites or flats as mayibe deemed most desirable. The entrance to the lift and stone stairs of basement are enolosed by dwarf wroughtiron gates, with ornamental cresting, the same cresting being oontinued across the top of the stone plinths as a protection. The lighting of the rooms at the rear is obtained by a recess court, portions of which will be lined with glazed white tiles, in order to ensure sufficient light. The office of the company will be treated inside in a manner somewhat novel. The iron girder carrying the floor above, instead of being concealed, will be shown, the iron being specially , planed to present a perfectly smooth surface. These will be supported on polished red granite corbcte. The ceiling will be of wood, in panels of different colours, in , which New Zealand and Borneo woods will predominate. Tho same treatment will be followed in tho interior fittings of the offices, which will be in a measure representative . from New Zealand and colonial woods. The flooring throughout will be of New Zealand , kauri. The architects, as mentioned above, are , Meesrs. Terry and Oakden ; the contractor, , Mr. C. Butler; the terra cotta is being , made by Mr. G. R. Ferry, Brunswick; the ( granite was polished by Mr. Taylor, Foots- . cray ; the grey granite was brought from the Harcourt quarries, and the red granite from , Stirling Hill quarries, Peterhead, Scotland. \