NATIONAL BUILDINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21055, 18 June 1930, Page 7

NATIONAL BUILDINGS.

ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM. SUCCESSFUL COMPETITIVE DESIGN. f . ■ y , (Special to Daily Times.) < , . AUCKLAND, June 17. ■ A congratulatory telegram from Welhugton this evening conveyed to Mr W H. Gummerand Mr C. R. Ford of Amlc- ™ of their success in the competition tor the designing of a national jr roU p buildings on Mount carrmd'^out^n T f le competition was carried out -in two stages. Over 20 de. signs were originally submitted, and in January the Jury of . Award met to duce the number to three. These were amenTtl’ ™ th ° TS Mo ™ "L ftelr |fe signß J? the liltht of that «SrJssa,iSS ■ m " a ll “ tinTt 6 nm tole pro; l ect embraces four distinct pm poses. In the main groun of buildings will be accommodated the PNational Art Gallery, the Dominion Museum, and thejtav Zealand Academy frnm D f .^ rts > while set prominently in “ o r nt f the group will.be .the Wellington memoria! carillon tower.. An hnus If^the competition as it affected the designing of the mum group was that .the cost of con ß tru“i o “ should be within £170,000. 1 The main buildings have a louver ground door where accommodation is provided for libraries, a lecture hall, an auditorium, workrooms and storerooms. > There are two main floors, and the lower of the two will house the Dominion Museum, while the National Art Gallery and Academy of Fine Arts wxll.be situated on the upper main floor ' .£ special feature of the Art Gallery will ®e the system of lighting. Mr S ■Hurst Seager, the well-known ■ architectural authority, of Christchurch, made an extensive study of the art galleries of the world and was impressed by the invar iahly poor lighting, so 1 he devised a system of direct lighting with the object of throwiDj greater light on the pictures.. The scheme, as designed, is a complete one, - but it is not anticipated that the whole project will be carried through at one.e. For that reason a stipulation in the conditions of the competition was that the design should be so contrived that partial execution of the project would form a complete architectural unit. The designing of a scheme to cost not more than < £170,000 , and the need for combining in one group of buildings' provision for three different institutions also imposed on-the competitors certain limiting factors which only skill and resource. could successfully overcome. -A notable feature of the museum section 7 of the buildings will be the Maori Hall, which will be 150 feet long, 56 feet wide, and 50 feet high, thus allowing ample ecope for setting off the exhibits, some of which are as high as 28. feet, to the Best possible advantage. The exterior design of the structure is in a modern classic style of extreme simplicity, the various planes all being massed to form a fitting crowning feature to the high mil on which the buildings will stand Perhaps with a spice iof facetiousnese the style is said to be a proper interpretation of modern life in ite heed for economy, depending for its effects simply on the disposition of its parts and refinement of detail. On the main facade is a beautiful colonnade in the modern maiiner as a natural, foil to the horizontality of the building. Tho carillon tower, rising to a height of 160 feet, will be erected in front. The somewhat unusual height or the tower been made necessary because of the size of the bells it is to house. At the base of the tower will be the Hall of Memories. The design, in _ perspective, shows that the group of buildings, and the carillon tower together form a beautiful architectural composition. The approaches to the buildings will be so arranged that traffic will enter‘the site by the left and depart by the right. Ample provision for car parking will be made near the entrance. The building will be erected in reinforced concrete with stone on the main facades. ..