LAND AND BUILDINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18763, 17 July 1924, Page 14

LAND AND BUILDINGS.

r ' j- . . . ' ' • . . . ' 'V- , ~ 'GBEAT CIVIC CENTRE. - V ■■ ' i ■ IN NEW YORK. \ INSPIRING ARCHITECTURE, IDEAS FOR AUCKLAND'in view of iTio preparations in Auckland for the creation of a civic square in the centre oi the city there is Bp<scial 1 (interest in a similar project on a larger . ■ scale in New York. The American, scheme, which has been promulgated for civic consideration, is gigantic. Its estimated cost, over £10,000,000, holds timely lessons foi /Auckland. One of tkvss is the demonstration of the fact that it is wisdom to set a city in artistic order before the value of property becomes an insurmountable barrier; to reconstruction of a metropolitan area. The primary aim of the New York proposal is to concentrate 10 municipal departments, now scattered .about that \ c 'ty, in a chic centre worthy of on® oi the greatest cities in the worMy and to relieve the chaotic congestion of vvhiculaj and' pedestrian traffic on Ma&hattar Island.'. This traffic consus is * what 1 Pick Swiveller would have csJled "a stagger&,"•" Every business day, according to official count, 2,849,000 persons and 223,450 vehicles pour into Manhattan. Even to meet the norma] expansion of traffic presents an extraordinary problem for the administrators of New York. In addition to subways, overhead lines,. ferries and millions of motor-cars, there are under construction, consideration or discussion, vehicular tunnels under the river, new rapid transit routes, bridges over the Hudson and doubled-decked thoroughfares. f The iPolsce Commissioner, Mr. JR.. E. Enwright, has submitted a plan for tae transposition of the present heart of New York to the north end of Central Park, nnd. there establish a great civic centre. Plans have been prepared, and the design represents a noble conception' of inspiring aichitacture. If adopted the plan would necessitate the demolition of 12 city blocks of buildings. The site alone would cost £5,000,000. The drawings and plans provide for the construction of a monumental City Hall, 30 storeys high, with a dominating tower, and flanked on either side-by two great municipal office buildings. These three imposing structure* would cover six city blocks. In the foreground of the proposed' civic centre provision has been made for the construction of two war memorial shafts or columns similar to those commemorating Eoman and Napoleonic victories in Some and Paris. These wouid be erected on a central plaza, while .in front ihero would also be four kiosks shielding bronss. tablets giving the names :j; of all New Yorkers killed in their country's service in th® world t war. On either : side of the memorial 5 plaza _ there would be buildings devoted to musio and art, sist off by a half-moon colonnade. Here it may be noted that Auckland administrators puri)ose making provision in the oivio square for a Sue arts building, Might it not be worth while to consider the question of also providing an artistid hall for chamber concerts ! In time to come such concerts must, as in other citias, become a feature of the musical activities of Auckland, v The plan for a civic centre in New York . was prepared after consulting tha best professiohaf talent available from, sn emgi- ; ; nsering as well as an architectuial point of view. ••" , . At present the great metropolis pivots its administration in a building more than 100 years old, and that was designed for a city of but 100,000 population.