OUR NEW POST OFFICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13845, 3 September 1908, Page 3

OUR NEW POST OFFICE.

.Sir,-—lt is to be hoped that Auckland will > not bo i disfigured by the erection of : the • very unattractive . building the elevation o£ which is shown in your issue of the 22nd ult. . . . , . . , I. am nob an architect, but i in my youth' I studied architecture under my father, and ■ have not i yet quite forgotten all that ha' ; taught me. I remember lie used to. say t». me: " The first thing you have "to do is to i study your site. Study it well. Note alB its surroundings, and see if these are likely to improve; and if they are, take all the care you can that your building shall , come out well" in the comparison.": Has any attention been paid to this important rule? > "The next thing you have to do is to remember that size is one of the most important elements in architecture, and you must do everything you possibly can. to in- " crease the _ appearance of it." - How shamefully this important rule has been outraged. "What could the designer have meant by wasting the enormously valuable space over the commonplace, single-storey, livery-stabl«. entrance arches on each side of the main building? Surely he could not have thought these things any ornament. v 1 Why could he not hava carried up' the building for ' the whole frontage another two .storeys?. And, surely, without exerting himself too much lie could have produced a prettier skyline, and, if it was necessary to consider expense, have met that by reducing the depth from front to back. This would have left the block in ,sS( much better position for future enlargement,; which will certainly be soon required., ;££? have no idea who the architect js;; bu£J„JSJ should imagine the junior apprentiepite 1 yT*. * >; Auckland. Samuel' .

, Sir,—The public are indebteu to the \ Herald for publishing a, copy of the front ' ;i elevation of the now - General Post Office; ' and ; also to Mr, Parrel! for tabling -^ ' notice of motion to consider the subject ~ at -the-- next meeting of the ' City Council, Vi and. as the /."'Chamber, of Commerce : were i- : mainly, responsible for the .- selection 1 of < the site, the public.' will expect the members o£ that .useful; .body to lead their weiglitl ini ■> obtaining a building 0/ a distinctive' and?' much more imposing character than' the ■' design submitted As has already : been H pointed out, the half storey should be a • whole storey, ~ otherwise . the tall {buildings on either side will dwarf the Post Office intoi insignificance. ;An imposing main entrances , should occupy, the space of the three arches' ' shown' in plan referred to above, and a clock tower be built in centre *of building with suitable turrets at; the cornersi';in placn - of the squat domes. A, town clock at ,thr-' Post Office seems": to be - indispensable to city and country people who use trams, trains, ferry-boats/ mail boats.'etc? ;.':T: I desire particularly to direct attention! to the y ornamental gateway arches at eac't end of the building, which I presume are intended as entrances to the railway station. ; , "Now, assuming each of these arches to have ' : a frontage of 20ft to. Queen-street, and the: •■'■' value of the land £300 per foot, weevil! l a& two t gateways occupying land" V worth £12,000! Why not carry the building to its •' full height over the arches, and if rici required for the Post Office bring some other «j department into it, and so save rent?... ' As the Government have not been at-tha ! expense of buying a■ site, an additional;?out-i ' fi lay aa suggested is not an unreasonable r«- ' quest. Citizen. '

Sir,—A large number of your readers antt ' - the general publio will agree with your well--ft- ' timed remarks in the Hekald of August 26 re the exterior ; design for the ' Auckland;! : • post office. The Government expend large' : . sums of ■ money;; to advertise. the Dominion as a real live and progressive country. Why ' not express this same life and vigour in ' the j; ; designs of our public buildings? ,Why ■■go' to obsolete and dead art for inspiration ( forj the design 1 of our structures ; when'; wo' have? far. better and more suitable-in. tho.country! ;i ; wo are so proud of calling 'our home. 'In . the Gothic; of-; our own country: we have a 5 ! style, when properly" treated, adapted '■ to ( the requirements, ciroumstances, and ; condi- SJ tions of this Dominion,: and expressing thai ?v life, vigour, and pnogressivencss of the Bri- ',S tish people, and I hope and believfe of tlieic,' |i ! descendants, wherever they (may be located. | I »aware that there are people who be- iv ■ lieve English Gothio ' architecture to'il biiiS I made up of windows that exclude the light!, and passages; that lead to ; noArhere, but Xjfi freely challenge anyone to say • that this ij»! so with tlie stylo as used by , the late Sir G.i G. Scott and; others. :: Then . why not mike 1:4: the- post office and the Parliament - io> thing of live, beauty that will warm the, hearts of Britons make them feol that, "■ on - this ; side of the | world '• they are in. touch with arid under the influence of British', art hearts, : and taste? I* am quite aware' that's Greek- architecture. has, a • refined • bounty par-!/. tieularly its own, ; but it is tho beauty o£ ■ | finality and' tranquillity. V While I , think, it necessary - for ; 1 this v. country ?by every iiieains I to express energy and determination, I; trust jit . will be long before our people will'be ■?! ready to rest on. the achievements of the $ [' pastand exchange energy;, for" repose '"brj '> | stagnation.' .•!-*' ;■ Bsixoi^'i |. —-— ■■■ -'t-J