THE FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' HALL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3244, 29 June 1872, Page 2

THE FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' HALL.

Ihe Friendly Societies' Hall Co. have, La view to economy, departed from their ■ccepted plans for tlie building of the HfeTwo other designs were subsequently Rn, and one of those—that of Mr E. J. Wi[S, architect, who had prepared the dsfjgh first agreed upon-—was accepted. The contract for the works, according to Mr j Sanders's latter design, has been taken up by Mr James Gore, and the building is to be completed within four months. According to the plan now being carried out, the front part of the building on the ground floor will be taken up with two shops, the pit entrance, and the stalls and gallery entrances ; and behind these, the vestibule; and, on tlie upper floor, the lodge-room and committee-room, and tlie ladies' retiring room—which last pertains to the gallery of the Hall. There are to be two shops, each with a frontage of 10ft. Gin., depth of 30ft, aud lift, in height. They will be entered by doors from tho street, and also from the vestibule passages. Separate entrances—one for the pit, and another for the stalls and gallery—are. to lead from the street into the vestibule. This is to'be situate at the rear of the shops, and to be3oft. by 32ft., and lift, in height, aud will be divided into one side for the pit, and the other for gallery and stalls, if it is thought desirable to de so. The vestibule can also be used for the sale of refreshments. The plan, however, provides for doors from the vestibule entrances into the shops, and refreshments will no doubt be obtainable in these shops. -No intoxicating liquor is to be soM on the Hall premises. A staircase, five feet wide at the bottom, and afterwards widening to ten feet, will lead from near the stalls door in the vestibule to the upper floor. The gallery of the hall, the ladies' retiring room, the committee-room, and the lodge-room, are io be approached by it. The lodgeroom is to be 32ft by 42ft, and 16ft high. The committe - oom adjoining will have its own entrance from the landing, and is to be 22ft long and 15ft Gin wide, and of the same height as the lodge-room.

We now come to the Hall proper or Theatre. From end to end—from the pit door to the back of the stage —it is to- measure 92ft. Gin., and will be 54ft. Gin. wide ia the clear. The hall from floor fco ceiling is to bo 32ft., and the roof will be spanned with a king-post truss and principals. The hall will be lighted from the roof, so that public meetings or entertainments can be held in it during the day. The pit is to be 42?t. deep, and the width of the hail. The stalls are to be 16ft Gin. deep, extending the width of the hall also. Prom the back of the orchestra to the stage wil^ be 4ffc. The gallery will extend around the house in the form of a horseshoe curve, and the tiers of seats in it are to be disposed to suit; that cvrve. There will be on each side a private box in the corner near the stage. The pit will haye a good slope in the floor, and the slope in the gallery will be considerable. The only thing that appears to be likely to obstruct the view of the stage will be some iron columns supporting the gallery and that run from floor to roof. With seats in the sfcalls and pit having the space of 2 ft. Sin. from the back of one seat to fche back of the next, and a sitting room of ISin. to each individual, and with seats in the gallery 2ffc. Gin. from back to back, and a like sitting room per individual, the calculated capacity of the hall is—pifc, 576 ; sfcalls, 21S ; gallery, 400 ; total, 1184. In the stalls and pit, and especially in the gallery, ample provision is to be made fpr passages between the scats, and by additional seats, for which there is ample room, the hall will be made to seat 1220 comfortably.

The stage will be 30ffc. in depth, and is fco be the width of the hall, 54ffc. Gin, The proscenium is to be 24ft. wide, over 4ft. above ths level of the stalls floor, and 17ft. in height. The space directly over the proscenium Avill be left for the display of scenery, aud to give room for fche Avorkiag of stage machinery; but on the space on each side there Avill be actors', acfcrc*»W, carpenters', and property rooinp, communicating by stairs with $>/_ stage. Under the stage is to be » room 7ft. high, for use in connection wit'iifc.

From the proportions of the building it is presumed that it wiil have good acoustic properties, snd the provision to be made for ventilation is considered safiicieut.

With regard to accommodation, there is to be a ladies' retiring room off the gallery, 22ft. by ,10ft. The dimensions of the vestibule -30ft. by 32ft.—are spacious. The doors by Avhich the audience are to have entrance and exit will open outAvards. There is also a yard by which performers can enter behind the. scenes ; and access can be had by passages from the stage to all parts of the house.

Mr Hannagan having arranged wifch the Company to give them a portion of the ground at the back of his premises, they will thus be able to make the hall wider than Avas at first proposed, and also to have a yard. The Company intend putting up for Mr Haiinagan a building on the ground adjoining their own, aiid A«dth a frontage of I4iffc, having a depth of 42ft, and including shop, work rooms, and dwelling roonis. A really good and roomy building in the City, in addition to the Theatre, for public meetings, and especially for amateur performances, is a much felt want. We hope fche hall Avill supply this, and Avish the Company every success.