DEPARTMENTAL BUILDINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19970, 11 December 1926, Page 14

DEPARTMENTAL BUILDINGS.

ERECTION IN WELLINGTON. AN EXPERT’S OPINION. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, December 9. Proposals for the creation of a magnificent group of departmental buildings in the close vicinity, of the Parliamentary Buildings are propounded by Mr S. Hurst Soager in the course of a report he has submitted to the Government on the question of a site for the proposed Wellington citizens’ war memorial. The matter of expenditure, doubtless the governing factor in such a scheme, is not, however, included in the proposition. Dealing with the question whether the erection of a monument on the site outside the Parliamentary grounds would interfere with future developments, Mr Beager advances the forecast that Molesworth street will undoubtedly have to be widened at no very distant date, and he recommends that the land opposite Parliament Buildings should be secured by the Government so that there would be land enough to accommodate the whole of the Government departments in that area. “There is an opportunity,”' adds Mr Seager, “for a magnificent group of public buildings which should be taken advantage v of. N As the major part of the propsrty is of a very ramshackle nature from an artistic point of view, it is of little value erecting a fine Parliament House if the encircling properties are not in accord with it, and this control can onlv be effected by the resumption, not only of the north-eastern side of Molesworth street as far as Hill street but also of the north side of Hill street as far as the Roman Catholic Cathedral, and the triangle between the Turnbull Library, Bowen street, ad Lambton quay. In this way there may be created in the future a magnificent group of Government buildings round the Parliament square worthy of the Dominion, and one which would compare most favourably with any group of Government offices elsewhere. “Of course, the buildings already erected for various Government departments in different parts of the city could easily be let or sold for ordinary commercial purposes and new ones erected round Parlia ment square in accordance with a wellconsidered and predetermined scheme. The possibility of this area for future development of Government requirements shows the necessity of not erecting a monument which would in any way prevent the best scheme from being carried out.”