THE EXHIBITION BUILDING.

New Zealand Mail, 3 December 1896, Page 50

THE EXHIBITION BUILDING.

The Exhibition building 1 is not ar imposing one, the style ot architecture being very unostentatious, to say the least of it. Quantity, not quality, evidently was the committee’s maxim when the design was selected, for the building has certainly oeen designed for economy of space. The building is constructed of wood and iron, and except the painting, plumbing and electric lighting, which was done by conrtact, the whole has been carried out by day labour. The front of the building faces Cuba street, and the entrances are from Victoria street and Jervois quay. The front of the building has two towers 40ft in height, between which is a centre - piece in the shape of a circular window of stained glass, constructed by Messrs Alexander and Co , and at night, when the building was lit up by the electric light, showed out in contrasting relief to the somewhat remarkable Indian red and chrome yellow paint of the front in daytime. The large entrance doors open into a. vestibule, and the visitor passes through self-register-ing turnstiles and gains admission to the Exhibition proper.

The building is divided into four bays running from north to south, each of which is 48ft wide, giving a space for exhibits of sft on either side, 20 c t in the middle, and allowing two passages of 9ft each. The largest of the bays, immediately inside the entrance, is the first entered, and measures 272 ft in length, and provides a floor space of 13,050 square feet. The second bay is 258 ft long, and provides a floor-space of 12,381 square feet. The next is 108 ft long, giving a floorspace of B'iGl square feet, and the last, which also includes a lean-to, is 152 ft long, and allows 8004 square feet of floor-space. The space set apart for exhibitors and passages is 42,1 GS square feet, and the total area of floor, including concert-hall (12< >ft x 45ft), art gallery (Gift Gin x 41ft), and other side buildings and annexes, amounts to .57,528 square feet. The height of the bays is 12ft on the wall plates, 15ft over the passages and 22ft to the top of the roof. Ventilation is provided for by openings at the ridge and gableends of the bays. The building nas a frontage to Victoria street of 240 ft, and to Jervois quay of 288 ft. There are no glass windo.es in the building, a space of about 2ft between the walls and the roof being covered with calico, which, besides adding to the ventilation, give* ample light,

which is also strengthened by the loofs being whitewashed. I .ast night, when the building was lit by the electric light, the effect was almost dazzling in its brilliancy. The effect was very pleasing, and was added to by each alternate light having a coloured globe. Over 500 incandescent lamps are used in lighting the building, and they vary from 50 to GO candle-power each. The wiring of the building was carried out by Messrs T. Ballinger and Co, and between five and six miles of wire was used in the installation. The whole of the lighting arrangements are controlled from a switch room which has been fitted up in the building. Outside the front entrance there is a 5000

candle-power lamp, which lights up the street for a considerable distance, and the sports ground is lit by nine arc lamps of goon candlepower each. The concert hall is also well lighted. The exits from the building are numerous and seemingly quite adequate in case they are required at an emergency. Til K l'i >r XT a i x. The first thing the visitor is c mfronted with on entering t he Exhibition is the large and handsome fountain erected by Messrs Tutor Hutson and Co , and which is all made from colonial products. Tin; foundation and base

of the pedestal are made of concrete composed of gravel and colonial Portland cement, manufactured by Messrs John Wilson and Co., of Auckland. The large basin is lGft in diameter, and is 2ft Gin above the floor lino. From the centre of the basin stands the pedestal, on which is built the terracotta fountain, the base oi which is formed with four dolphins supporting the large fluted basin, from the centre of which rises a large nikau palm. In the centre of the palm stands a .Maori girl with a flax crate on her head filled with mussels and pipis.

The height ol this splendid piece of workmanship L 12ft Gin. The water is supplied direct from the main, and there are eight

jets from the side of the large hasin, the water from which meets the jets coming from the mouths of the dolphins. Double circles of waters are let from the top of the Maori girl’s flax crate. The effect last night under the coloured electric lights was extremely pretty. The figure was modelled by Mr W. H. Barrett, teacher of modelling at the School of Design, and the dolphins, basin and palm In Mr Thomas Dee, the head potter for Messrs Peter Hutson and Company. (Treat credit is due to the burner, Mr Thomas Lloyd, who had a very anxious time during the burning of such a large and delicate piece of pottery. The erecting of the foundation was carried out bv Mr Peter Hutson, and the plastering work was done by Mr Thos. Foiev. Messrs I'hos. Ballinger and Company supplied the water fixings and fitted them up.