TOWN IMPROVEMENTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 493, 27 November 1877, Page 2

TOWN IMPROVEMENTS.

We may fairly say that there is no town in New Zealand at the present time which is taking such gigantic strides in the march of progress as is Oamaru. Day by .day we witness, on one hand or the other, some work of improvement taking place, either in the shape of the erection of new buildings or additions to those already erected. These, too, are for the most part substantial and ornamental structures, and in many instances the buildings erected are such as would do credit to any town in the Colony. What greater evidence of the prosperity of the town could be wished for? We are fully warranted in saying that the prosperity of Oamaru is unexcelled by that of any other portion of this Britain of the South. But not only do the improvements which are continually taking place around us go to prove the present prosperity of the town. They are evidence of a still greater and more imporT taut fact; : they fully demonstrate the confidence of the people in the future prosperity of the town and district —a confidence which is based upon sound premises, and which' is fully warranted by the experience of the past few years. Amongst the many architectural improvements which are being effected in Oamaru, several are approaching completion which Gil.', for more than a passing notice. The first of these is the NEW COLONIAL BANK.

For a considera'-le time past the business <>f the Colonial Bank of New Zealand has been steadily growing in Oamaru, until it lias become so great that new and more commodious premises are rendered absolutely necessary. The present temporary offices are altogether inadequate to' the requirements of. the institution, besides being both inconvenient and illarranged for their present purposes. Some time since the Bank made arrangements with the Harbor Board for the .lease of that portion of the. Board's property situated at the corner of. Tiiames and lichen streets, and adjoining the railway line; To Mr. Thomas Forrester was intrusted the work of preparing plans for the new temple of mammon, and-little time was lost in getting the work of construction under motion, the result being that within a very short space of time one of t e most substantial and massive structures in the Colony has so far approached completion, that we may enter upon some description of t'e building. Viewed from a little distance the new bank presents a very pleasing appearance, although its effect is greatly marred by its isolated situation, standing as it does somv» distance from any other building. The bank, however, occupies a very central and important position, having frontages to both Thames and Itchen streets. T lese fronts are designed in the Italian style of architecture, the lower store}'.being built in channelled ashlar, having pedestals, pilasters, and cornice of th*s Doric order; while thenpperstorey haa pedestals, pilastc-rsj arid cornice of the lonic order. The whole is surmounted by a pannelled and moulded blocking cornice of a massive description. The windows and doors are arched, with pannelled keystones and neatly moulded architraves and imposts. . The entrance to the bank in Thames-street is fl.inked by detached pillars, forming, with cornice, an outer porch. The total heig'it of the building from the pavement to the top of the blocking is 44ft.; the extent of the frontage to Thames-street is 46 t, and to Itchen-street 50ft. The windows, of which there are eleven in the two fronts, will be filled in with plate-glass. Though not putting forth any very great pretension to elaborately ornamental features, the building presents a solid and substantial appearance, indicative, no doubt, of the nature of the business t-j be transacted within its portals. The main entrance from Thamesstreet leads to the banking hall, a spacious room of 30ft. by 27ft., with a height from floor to ceiling of 19ft. This splendid room will be lighted by four large windows, and will be one of the best banking halls in the Colony, special attention having been given to the securing of the comfort and convenience alike of the clerks and the public. The ceiling is finished off with a massive cornice and a centre ornament of sft. in diameter. The fittings, which are not yet completed, will be all of cedar, French polished. The inner porch will also be of cedar, having swing doors with plate-glass :panels. The manager's room —that sanctum sanctoruni. of bankiug institutionsis' to the left of the banking hall, and measures 16ft. by 14ft., and has the same height of ceiling as the banking room. The ceiling in the j managjr's room is also finished off with : cornices and a very handsome centre '

flower. Adjacent to this room is the strong-room—a fire-proof compartment of 14ft. x'lOft., with an arched ceiling, and fitted with a Milner's patent fire-proof door. Immediately behind the strongroom, and approached by a passage from the banking hall, are the caretaker's apartments, consisting of a bed-room and sitting-room, each 14ft. by lift. The same passage leads to the cloak-room, which is to be fitted up with labatorial appurtenances. Having completed our investigation of the lower portion of the building, we turned our attention to the upper storey. This is approached from Itchen-street by a broad winding staircase. The upper floor is divided into five offices, ranging from 14ft. by 10ft. to 26ft. by 17ft., and having a height of ceiling of 14ft. There is no means of communication between the banking department and the upper storey, which is, we believe, to be let as private offices, the rooms being so constructed that they can either be let singly or in suites. The new bank will, we understand, be ready for occupation on the Ist January next. Some idea of the substantial nature of the building may be gathered from the fact that no less than 18,000 cubic feet of Oamarti stone has been used in its construction : in fact, the hank may be said to form in itself a perfect quarry of most beautiful stone. The building was, as we have already stated, designed by Mr. Thomas Forrester. Tiie contractors for the stone work were Messrs. Wilson, Roxburgh, and Co., and for the carpenters' work Messrs. Wt:st and Sinclair.

THE CRITERION HOTEL. The building which has just been completed and which will henceforth be known as the Criterion Hoiel is undoubtedly one of the most elegant edifices, if not the most elegant, in Oamaru. It occupies a central and commanding position at the corner of Tyne and Harbor-streets, and presents to the gaze of the passer-by a picture well worthy a view, alike for the elegance of the design and artistic manner in which the masonry work has been carried out. It has a frontage to Tynestreet of 96ft. and to Harbour-street of 90ft., the height of the facade being 35ft. The fronts of the building ar« wf the Italian style of architecture, and present, as we have before said, an appearance both striking and pleasant, without being in the least overelaborate or gaudy. The lower portion of the building is ornamented with Hocked and pannelled pilasters, with circularheaded windows, naving appropriate mouldings around them. T.ie upper storey is of a more ornamental character, anil is finis ned with pedestals supporting pilasters, with beautifully carved caps and drop ornaments. The cornices are also enriched with dentil ornaments of an elegant nature. The whole is surmounted by a balustrade filled in with turned balusters. The ornamental features on the building consist of exquisitely carved keystones in the windows of the upper storey, terminal vases, and an elegant and appropriately designed tympanum, bearing the name of the hotel, surrounded by b-.-autiful scrollwork, neatly carved. The general effect of the outward appearance of the building is one not to be excelled by any hotel in any part of the Colony. But it is not only on the outside that the new hotel demands attention. The whole of the arrangements of the interior fully maintain the idea of comfort and elegance which one might form by viewing the exterior of the budding. Altogether there are 19 rooms in the hotel, including the bar. The whole of these are well lighted and lofty, the heig'it to the ceiling on the lower floor being 13ft. 6in., and in the upper storey 12ft. The bar has a floor-space of 20ft, by loft., aud underneath it is a cellar 16ft. by 14ft., and having a clear height of 6ft. Tne dining-room is a capital oue, measuring 24ft. by 20ft., and is fitted up with every convenience. On the ground floor there are several parlours and sittingrooms, all of which are well furnished. The kitchen is also a large one, being of the same dimensions as the dining-room, and lighted by a lantern roof. The upper floor is reached by a broad staircase of very easy ascent, with a balustrade of kauri. The staircase is well lighted, and is accompanied by a spacious landing. On the upper floor are twelve rooms, three of which are sitting-rooms, which are exceedingly well furnished, having a number of pictures hung around their neatly-decorated walls. The bedrooms (of which there are nine) are both large and well-venfilated, and are all equally well furnished, many of them bi i;ig supplied with chests-of-drawers in addition to the ordinary bedroom furniture. The whole of the interior arrangements beget a feeling that the hotel will prove a comfortable home for those who may seek shelter within its hospitable walls. The number of rooms in the hotel will be greatly increased- as soon as the building now in course of erection for M<ssrs. Connell and Clowes, which adjoins the new hotel, is completed, arrangements having been made by the propmtor to have ten bedrooms over tl.at portion of Messrs. Connell and Clowes' premises facing Tyne-street. The Criterion Hotel will undoubtedly prove a valuable addition to our hotel accommodation. Situated as it is in the very heart of the town, it should command a good trade, and prove a remunerative speculation to its spirited proprietor, Mr. William Gillespie. The hotel has been erected from designs drawn by Mr. Thomas Forrester, Messrs. Given and Wafson being the contractors for the masons' work, and Mr. John Somerville for the carpenters' work. We must not omit to mention that the whole of the stone carving has been performed by Mr. John Brownlee, neither must we pass over the ntme of Mr. diaries Harris, to whom haa been entrusted the work of i

decorating the interior of the building. Right well has each and all of the gentlemen named performed their work, the result being that Oamaru has an hotel of which it may justly feel proud, alike for the elegance of its outward appearance and its well-finished interior.