A CIVIC CENTRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19474, 2 November 1926, Page 6

A CIVIC CENTRE.

Sir,—l read with much pleasure the able letter signed by Mr. Lush in your issue of October 27." It gives food for thought. Not only doss Auckland pass by British architecture, but also we select probably f,he worst sites wo can find, A good site, is worthy of 3 g;»od building, and the bottom of a deep vailey is not, a good site. Coold we not get a wider vision and try and picture Auckland an it might and could be. Probably the finest site that could be found is a block of land bounded by Grafton Road and Nugent Street, on the one hand, Dundonald Street on the other, and from Mount Eden Road to the Lyric in length. St. Sepulchre's Church site would be a fitting oae for a cathedral. The groat Scottish church to be built, is .nearby, and the great body cf Methodists have a site close. The municipal offices conld be on the corner of Mount Eden Road, and the site now occupied by reservoir, post office and other buildings could be cleared and a town hall, worthy of Auckland, could be built. It could be see'ii from far and near, and from the building itself would strefch the city nnd the glorious Grafton Gulley. The cost mast; be considered. All the buildings Are of some age. Compensation could be paid, and a fund for such purpose could easily be established 'irom the profits of the present civic square. Why not make a central tramway station there, with a block of shops on each side, with a glass-covered street between ? Ran all trams through this double building, and the revenue from the building would be enormous, and ample to pay compensation to Symonds Street owners. Then re move that ugly tower from the Town Hall, pu* shops on street entrance and another storey on the top of the building, and this building also would pay handsomely. Special care should be taken in designing the buildings. Competitive designs should not be called. Our Town Hall and the university tower should prove this. If. however, "competitive designs were called, then a committee of the best designers should confer and assist in the final design which should embody the best features of the designs i submitted! Auckland is beautiful, and we should make the most of our lovely city, and try and See Auckland of 25 years' hence when we plan. E. BAMBUB'f.