THE FERRY BUILDINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13782, 22 June 1908, Page 8

THE FERRY BUILDINGS.

Sir,— that the Harbour Board has agreed to further consider the whole question of erecting the ferry buildings with a view of substantially reducing the tost of same, it will be an opportune time for reconsidering the advisability of keeping the building back to the alignment of the west side of Queen-street. The propped plan* show* a frontage to Quay-street of 207 ft and 48ft to Queen-street Wharf by a height of Soft. Curtailing the. length of frontage to Quay-street by 25ft will not only materially reduce the cost, but it will improve the architectural appearance of the structure, a* such ft long, narrow, high building, standing out. so conspicuously alone, wiil not be improved by its extending 25f, across Queenstreet. I am aware that should the Board agree to curtail she length of the building as stated, a new set of plans and additional foundation piers will be required. The cost of-these will not exceed £5000, as no doubt, under the skilful hand of the architect several of the present foundation piers will come into line, as reducing the frontage will not interfere with tho alignment of Quay-street. With all due respect, to the lay and expert opinions of some members of the Board, I venture to make a few comparisons, which may ro to show that the ferry building-' should bo erected within the amount- allocated. In the first place the conditionally accepted tender for the Town Hall completed throughout, including foundations and tower, was £37.500. The cubic measurement of the ferrv buildings is. in round numbers, 914,000 ft. " If tho kidding is made 25 ft shorter to Quav-street, so as to bring it in a line with Queen-street, it will bo further reduced by 102,000 ft, thus making 812.000 cubic feet, as against practically 2.000,000 cubic feet in the Town Hall. The character of tho work in the Town Hall is equal to that in the ferry buildings, except that in the latter there are a number of heavy granite columns, balustrading, marble staircase, and a quantity of costly mosaic tiling. Against these item's the foundation of the ferry building will be provided, and the top storey is unfinished on the inside. The ferry building has four stone-finished ' rn » t;i > which adds considerably to the cost. '1 he Town Hall has practically the same, as the whole of the front, to Queen-street., the round elaborate front at the acute angle, and a good portion of tho front to Greystreet, are finished in stone. 1 am satisfied the architect will have . little difficulty if authorised to do so in modifying his plans, so that a reallv first-class stone-faced modern building containing 812,000 cubic feet, exclusive of foundations, can be erected for the sum of Is per foot. Robert FakRKU.