NEW BUILDINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 420, 28 February 1880, Page 11

NEW BUILDINGS.

The new Supreme Court buildings are rapidly going up, under the direction of the contractors, Messrs. Barry and McDowell, and the brickwork is expected to be finished in about three months' time. The main entrance to the Court will be from Stoutstreet, and there will also be a side entrance from Whitmore-street, the rear of the buildings being towards Lambton-quay. The latter portion, which is now undergoing the process of roofing, does not present a very striking appearance to the beholder, its height only being 12ft. 7in., but it will be hidden from view by the Police Station and Resident Magistrate's Court, which are to be erected nearer Lambton-quay. The height of the main court from floor to ceiling will be 33ft. 6in., its dimensions being 35ft. by 30ft. The court will be flanked by various rooms, intended for jury and witness rooms, library, registrar's offices, &c, and will have a commodious gallery. Underneath the building are cells for prisoners awaiting trial, the cells communicating by means of a staircase with the dock in the court. In the rear of the main court, and separated from it by a passage, is a smaller court, 40ft. by 25ft., and 22ft. 7in. high, intended for bankruptcy court sittings. The judge's rooms are in the rear building referred to above. The design of the new buildings is an exceedingly handsome one, as will be readily gathered from an inspection of the plans. The architect is Mr. Burrows, Government architect. The present contract, which does not include internal fittings, is not expected to be finished for about twelve months, as there will be a deal of plastering and cement work to perform after the brick work is completed, three months hence. It will, therefore, be over a year before the new law courts will be ready for occupation. Mrs. Levell's new hotel, which is being erected in Cuba-street to replace the Nag's Head, one of the buildings destroyed by the o-reat fire last year, is well advanced, the walls being completed, and the plastering work being now in progress. The new hotel is a two-story brick building of the Italian style of architecture, and has a frontage of 50ft. by a depth of 80ft., its height being 32ft. The rooms are large and well ventilated. The hotel will possess every accommodation, amongst which we may mention two circular bars, with plate glass fittings. Mr. Tringham is the architect, Mr. John Adams being the contractor, and the cost of the hotel is to be L 2600.