BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18677, 5 October 1922, Page 4

BRITISH EMPIRE EXHIBITION

CONSTRUCTION WORK AT WEMBLEY. LARGEST STADIUM EVER BUILT. (Foom Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON. July 27. Sir Joseph Cook (High Commissioner lor Australia) and a party of other dominion ami (olonial representstives visited (ho site of the British Empire Exhibition at Wombley Park this week. The parly was conducted over the grounds by Mr U. E. Wintour. general manager of the Exhibition, Since the Duke of York turned the first turf in January last, a great transformation has been effected. Hundreds ,f workmen are now employed night and day on the work of levelling the vast: stadium, whore the foundation pillars, number more than 600, 60ft in height, have already been for some time erected, and (ho terrace steps —32 miles of them -aro being placed in position. When the stadium is completed, in time for the Cnp Tie final in April. 1923. it will be a work of which the Pliaroahs and Cresnrs would have, been proud, It will be one and a-lmlf times as big as the Roman Coliseum; cover 2% limes (ho area; hold 125,000 spectators as against 80,000; will be half a mile in circumference and between 70ft and 80ft high. There will be seating accommodation for 35,000 visitors—2s,ooo .jnidcr cover. There will bo dressing rooms for 300 athletes; in the bigj press room there will bo room, without crowding, for 100 pressmen, with writing rooms, telephone and telegraphic offices adjoining. At the main entrance,' reached by a magnificent terrace 35ft wide and 350 ft long, ihcre will be a great conference ball, dining rooms, and tea rooms on a vast scale.

UNITED KINGDOM PAVILION. Near the entrance adjoining Wembley Park station there are in course of construction two vast buildings of classic design winch will house the industrial exhibits of the United Kingdom, one being devoted entirely to machinery and oth ir engineering exhibits. Already the foundations are well advanced for over 12 acres of these buildings, which will have a to-ul floor area of approximately 20 acres. They are divided into open galleries 75ft and 6Uft wide, with arched roofs of reinforced concrete, thus eliminating all exposed roofs, lie rods, and frame work. The height varies from\ 30ft to 50ft. Railway tracks will rim throughout the buildings or the handling of exhibits, with overhead travelling cranes capable of lifting 25 tons each, in the machinery section, which covers four acres. Tims all exhibits can bo conveyed to .their stations from any part of the country without breaking bulk. T hose buildings are of permanent construction, built entirely of concrete, and designed on classic lines. Restaurants are planned along the garden frontages with wide verandahs overlooking the bandstands and promenade. A series of lakes surrounding by beautiful gardens have been planned, and on them, river and lake craft characteristic of the dominions and Grown colonies will ply. Magnificent buildings are to be erected, of which foundations are being prepared, for the dominions, colonics., and India. The last-mentioned recently voted £167,000 for a building worth - of India’s resources. At a recent meeting of Federal and State Ministers. Australia decided to contribute the sum of £200,000 for the same purpose and £50,000 (o cover the cost of collecting and despatching the exhibits. South Africa has voted a provisional sum of £43,000, and New Zealand and Canada will doubtless co-operate on similar lines. Most of the Crown colonies have also applied for space.