BANK OF NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4298, 6 March 1901, Page 3

BANK OF NEW ZEALAND

'•'ii ic new them isms. '!lim lino new of I. ho Jsa.nk of '■ i-.w Zealand, at the coni or of La met on quay and Cuafcm hmi-e quay, will form a liaiidsonu; addition to the ’arebitoei tiro hi \\ cllington. Tim exterior is gov. - almost; complete, and workmen arc busy lin i slung tho interior ol the f^uildieg. Tlio now h mking-house occupies frontages ol l.'Llt to Cnstorrdn u e r I nay ami I'oft w. Lamhlon quay, and is of three stories and a hascmoiJ. Tin: height of the hasomunt is Bft, of flie ground floor 20ft, of tiio lic floor Mi’:, and of the second liner 115 ft. Tiio building; in Gdft nigh from tho ba--'-irioi)t to fin’’ pa rajiict. The hunking-hull on the ground floor in a liaudsoinc, lofty room, said to bo ono of the largos!, of its kind in the colonics. Entrance If' the main vo,‘:iInile, which is at trie angle facing Whir; street , <h gained from two- side. one door being on Lamhlir.i quay and die o: her on On-. 1 rnnnoire• qr-iv. V lien in hie I bo vestibule, the visitor proceeds ibrmi.nli tiro fording door- 1 , ( ,ch (ilt wide, into fbo nubile space of the banking-ball, a long avenue 17ft v.idand BJft deep. Till-, avenue, which runs diagonally across the chamber, is flanked 'by the counters and the desks of the | 'tellers and other oflieitds. The entire, banking-hall occupies about two-thirds , •ol the. ground floor, and covers an area of 1701,11. Tiio counters for flu: bark toilers iu-a placed on tno right side of! tlie public ‘oner, and those for the ledger- I i.eopers on the left side. By this av- I rongemorit the clerks have the bermiit I 'r' tire light from belli frontages, whilst the public convenience is met by the fact that tho bank customer is enabled to have Ids ehei(iie marked at one counter and passed a,t once to the clerk on the opposite side of the avenue.. The coun- j tern nro to bo in a. stylo different from that with which banking customers are familiar. Instead ef I ft'e usual hig.n Avail, I tho hanking chambers will bo fitted with counters only Ift in lieigal , surmounted | by a high screen of poli.-liol brass, fitted with wicket gates, through which bnsi- I nes-t may bo transacted. This is a system. now adopted in the move modern banking premises in England and America. Facing the public avenue, tit its , csiri'iiin end, is tho accountants’ room, placed on ;>, higher level Hum Ihe remainder of "tiie hanking chamber, so lint from this room one mav command a view of the whole baulking chamber. Near by is a. waiting lobby loading into Iho manager’s room, a lolly apartment, - I’fl, by Lillt. Adjoining the manager’s ifimr is that of flic assistant manager ■

The li.ii in”,-; of tiio banking chamber arc to he of’iioliJici! cellar. The counters will he relieved by dccpl.v-reoetwed

and panels, Wit 1L gl'Olip.S of twin three-quarter round panels. A striking effect will bo secured by a line of full round fluted Corinthian columns ■which will servo tin l double purpose of r-upporting the upper floor and adding to the decoration of too bull. The vestibule and the uublic space within the lialiking chamber is to bo floored in ■tiles of a. handsome pattern in chocolate, drub and pule bine. The coiling will be y sinking feature in the decoration. It is lo bo of stamped zinc, manufactured, supplied ami fitted up by the Wunderlich firm, of Sydney. - The ceiling will ho one’ of the most handsome supplied v (bis firm. The design is at once topic ami cxcod-ugA effective. It is i a. floral character, with square barriers. ami the colours om ployed are two shades of blue arid a. dealt white. From the hanking hall, on either side, stairs and book lifti descend tio the ■basement, where there is im ample fire, proof chamber for tko storage of ordinary banking nepers. The treasury vaults and safe deposit vaults are also in the basement. Hero there is likewise a note-burning chamber, a bicycle stable imd a coal fitorc-. The v. hole ot the first floor is to be devoted to the general manager and bis staff. The .entrance is from tho Lambton tpiay Iron,cage. The Board room ami directors’ roam will also bo on this floor.. Her© tho walls of the rooms opening on to tho ’central corridor are to be. of glass, from the dado height up to the ceiling, a plan winch will materially 'assist (.ho lighting arrangements. Tho floor above will bo occupied by the living rooms of the custodian, stationery : rooms, etc. i Tho design of the building is of i-ho Italian Renaissance. Tho treatment throughout is sufficiently massive, and at the same tune agreeably varied. Tho ■projecting biilconolt.es ovdr the main entrances, and the Corinthian pilasters running up to the main cornice, arc pnoininciih features of the design. Tim windows on tho ground floor are in the recessed and rusticated style, those on the second floor arc marked by throe, quarter round Corinthian columns, and surmounted by pediments, and on the floor above the design includes a circu. Inr-headod -opening and bracketed entablature, surmounted by tho main cornice, and a balustrade about 10ft- high. The lighting and ventilation of the banking house will, it is stated, he up-to-date in every respect. Messrs Turnbull and Sou are the architects, .Mr Thomas Carmichael the contractor, Mr A. B. Anderson clerk of works, and Air Jackson painter and decorator. Mr U. Martin supplied tlm embossed glass, end Messrs Jenkins and Alack did the plumbing.