TOWER OR SO TOWER?

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14714, 23 June 1911, Page 5

TOWER OR SO TOWER?

Sir.- Kindly allow me, through your columns, to emphatically protest against the sudden inspiration of various members of the Harbour Board to delete the tower from tho plans of the new ferry offices. What is the reason or meaning for such a proposition? I havo looked for one, but haying failed can only surmise. The reason given by the chairman is that £3000 is worth saving. But why not havo deleted the tower before, -tho building was started, or. instead of waiting until it has readied the roof, and SO have saved double or maybe treble the amount mentioned. The plans were drawn for a building having a tower rising some ! 60ft above the roof of main building, and to date (and the building is now roof high) the whole, both external and internal, construction has lxx>n carried out accordingly. Should this proposal.'be- carried, I would ask, "What do tho Board propose doing with the heavy brick walls that have been constructed. for no other reason than to carry tho lower? Should they bo allowed to remain, it will not, only Lx; so many hundreds of thousands of bricks and cost of building they wasted, but a great deal of valuable space will also bo wasted. Should they decide to demolish them, it will swallow the £3000 to do.so. I That, is the position from one view point only. Mr. Bradney is reported as having said: '* The building will look as well without as with a tower." As a student of architecture and art, and a lover of things beautiful, I am sorry for him, and to put it in a manner that ho can appreciate, I ask him to imagine one of his boats without; a funnel, then he will see a picture of iho I new ferry office without the tower.. ' I think of St. Paul's Cathedra.!, London, ■ of the architect, Sir Chris. Wren, and tho | remorse of the people over a similar thing. I The people of that time tried this false ! economy, with the result, when they saw I the finished building, they were disgusted I with themselves, whilst, uoor Wren died of a. broken heart. Are we people of Auckland going to do likewise, and allow the architects of our public buildings to have their plans mutilated at the hands of a suddenlyinspired few?