LAND AND BUILDINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15552, 9 March 1914, Page 5

LAND AND BUILDINGS.

BANK Or AUSTRALASIA. I — KAPID PROGRESS MADE. COMPLETION IN MAY, Rapid progiess tins been made with t&s construction of the Bank of Australasia's new premises at the corner of Queen and Wyndham Street!.. The erection of the building was commenced about the middle of last April, and the contractors. Messrs. W. Philcox and Sons, entered into an agreement to complete the' structure' by July 14. Such satisfactory progress has, however, been made that, it is expected that the building will be finished and ready for occupation seme time in May. The structure is built in ferro-concrete throughout, and is thoroughly fireproof. lb contains lour doers, a gallery, and a basement. The entrance is on the Queea Street side, the vestibule being in marble. The banking chamber, 21ft 6m in height, occupies the gromd floor, with the managers room on the outer corner. A gallery runs round three sides of tha chamber to accommodate the clerks. The first floor contains the lunch and cloak-rooms, and additional offices. The residential clerks will occupy the second! floor and the caretaker will have quarters on the top floor. The roof is paved with Neuchatel asphalt. It is flat, and has a parapet balustrade of cast-iron work between the projecting stanchions. The strongrooms in the basement are fire and) burglar-proof. The floors, roof, and walls are in reinforced concrete, with steel raila embedded. the strongrooms occupy tha greater portion at the basement floor. The building has a frontage to Queer* Street of 26ft 6in, and a 55ft frontage to Wyndham Street. The height to the top ! of the parapet is 66ft from the level oJ j Queen Street. . . i Inside and out the structure is to be finished with plaster. The fittings. arehandsome in design, with elaborate brasswork. An electric lift will run from the ground floor to the roof, and the building is to bo electrically lighted- For the heati ing of the building a boiler will be-in-stalled in the basement, and -will be connected- with radiators in each room. All the window casements are in steel' The building was designed by Messri Atkin and Bacon, of Wellington.

NEW PICTURE THEATRE. GREAT NORTH ROAD SCHEME. Grev Lynn is shortly to havejtewt&e theatre, a hall to be known as the-,Em-press Theatre, on the site of -the old, St. George's Hall, in Great North Road ; _-'_ The building, for which Messrs." Wade and Wade are the architects, will. have) accommodation for over 1000 spectators, who will use the floor and a gallery, the latter seating about 400. The hall will measure 36ft 6in in internal width, and 115 ft in length, and "wilt be constructed of brick, with an'.iiDn>:Too;f. The staircases and staircase,-, walls, .leading to the gallery will be of concrete,"!;' -'-• The front "of the building "iff -in the classic Renaissance style, nowadays popular in theatre design. It provides for an entrance 17ft wide, flanked on' each" side with a shop along the whole front, and, extending the full width of -the. footpath, is a large balcony verandah,' for the vise of patrons of the theatre. Off the gallery upstairs there will ,be:_ a retiring-room for ladies, and a smokingtoon ft* gentlemen, and offices, . stores, ■ and other apartments for the management. The ladies' room and the smpkwfe-'rpom . will both open out on to the balcony:,':; The floor of the hall will slope .downwards towards the', screen, so thai - -all the spectators will: have a clear view--; Internally the building is to be finished wilb, fibrous plaster decorations, "and .3 wooden dado. The latter feature will be.cohtinued in the gallery, and in the entrance hall. Four dome ventilators will be used "in the ceiling. *.-■•■ ,_■■-.? The.screen will be 24ft square, and the orchestra will be accommodated fin'.ai'.Recessed space in front of the "sheet."' "The roof is to be provided with a tower to carry a searchlight. .; ~;:.:?;,. ' MOUNT ROSKILL PROGRESS. MANY BUILDINGS TN'/HAND.; Mount Roski 1 ! is one of .the. progressive suburbs of Auckland, and a marked, activity in the building trade prevails in the district. At the present time there are 23 dwellings in course of erection' in various jparts of the suburb. The new buildings, when completed, will represent a value of about £11,500, This, of course, .doesnot . include the value of the sections which the houses are being built.. •-•■.--.'>" The building of the : fiwellingnOuies does not include the full building ..-programme now in progress in Mount'--'Ros-kill, for the Tramways Company : is. how erecting large tramway repairs shops .in the district. These, when completed,; will have cost about £30,000. : ? * SEAL ESTATE MARKET; ! .. GOOD BUSINESS RECORDED. Good business is reported in the i; real estate market and land agents.are- look-, ing forward to a prosperous year. - During the past month excellent business wast done and several residential properties changed hands, while good prices have been maintained. Strong inquiry' exists for building sections in the suburbs and also for good house property. -Inquiry ia also made in respect to farming property] in various parts of the province TENDERS INVITES.■'"-' : '-W-" INSURANCE ALTERATIONS.' Tenders are invited as -'■ i Alterations and additions to the National Insurance Company's Queen- ;- Street premises, closing March 10 (A. G. Day); house at Morningside, in concrete; closing March 11 (Wade and Wade); -residence in wood, Onehunga. closing March 14 (J. Park); painting His Majesty's l-X-heatre, closing March 10; additions to Bayfield school, closing March 18.