AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17112, 18 March 1919, Page 9

AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL.

Sir,l wonder if the war memorial proposed by the Harbour Board would do justice to the City of Auckland? Would it be worthy of commemorating the glorious deeds of the war and tie a fitting offering for the great victory? Would it kindle the emotions of the future generations and thrill them with pride and wonder? It seems doubtful. Surely modern architectural thought and design are capable of producing a higher attribute than the one presented. A memorial of this kind has a message to deliver to tho eye that rests upon it. Its form and detail should be word svmbols used to express the high _ thoughts associated with the purpose of' the memorial. For instance. a colonnade may surround a memorial column, where -the columns likened to tho human form are '"marshalled in rows like men in military formation." The mind by association is immediately impressed by the added dignity to the column. The memorial suggested does not seem to reach this higher plane of design. The ancient masters were not content with producing a beautiful work. They were wonderfully careful that the "setting" or site where their work was to be exhibited would give it its full value. Is the suggested site low down on the sea level, amid the dust and bustle of the city, a site that is no real point of interest, just such a place? I think not! A site on some prominent place like the outer domain and exhibition ground, "open to all the world," is surely the type of site we want. Here erect our obeliskwe want something bigger than a Corinthian columnand around it, according to some design, could be grouped all tho associations of the war, including a war museum. If a site like this is not easy of access, include the necessary roads in "the design. Mount Eden, Mount Hobson, and other hills about all hold great possibilities for designers. Nigel Walls-fit, A.N.Z.I.A.

Sir,— Many divergent opinions have been given as to the most suitable kind of memorial to erect to commemorate the glorious victory of human right over the attempted German military world-domina-tion. To me it seems that a happy combination of the " monumental" with the educative and instructive _ idea would be best attained by the erection on the dock —now offered by the Harbour Board for such a purpose— a " memorial museum "—containing suitable lecture and reading rooms —to be called the " Anzac Museum," in memory of our gallant sons, ornamented with a suitable column or tower, on the base of which could be inscribed a suitable record of the great war and the part New Zealand's sons had taken therein for the benefit of future generations. I feel sure the Harbour Board would willingly grant the site for such a purpose, and though a site in the Domain has been agreed on for museum purposes, its inaccessibility would debar thousands of weak and delicate persons from enjoying the pleasure or profit derivable from visit--ing it. On the other band the situation of the dock site is unrivalled and such a memorial museum would add to the attraction and usefulness or our superb waterfront. OLD Veteran.

<3j r Everybody will endorse your congratulations to the Harbour Board for their splendid gift of this old site, that is the finest public spirit. But will everybodv commend the engineer's design for a memorial? Would it not he well to ask for competitive desiens? The graves of the soldiers are marked with crosses. Is Auckland so iitterlv irreligious. c=o far from Christianity, that it cannot nse this same sign in its memorials? And why a Corinthian column, that most wearisome of all architectural forms? Is the idea to follow the Nelson monument of Trafalgar Square? Surely one of those is enough in the world The thirteenthcentury Entrlish Market Cross allows infinity of play for architectural design, and it would be good if the desitrn of the memorial could have a legal tapu placed on it to forbid its being copied in anything above the height of six inches, that would include lantern slides, and exclude country town copies at street corners. Oieinality of design is a power of art. Monotony of reproduction is the bane of art. In this case T plead for designs from artists who are artists pure and simple, or artists by nature and architects by profession. I can speak freely because I am neither an engineer nor an artist or architect. * W. Edward Lush.