MODERN STRUCTURE

Opunake Times, 5 July 1938, Page 2

MODERN STRUCTURE

NEW BANK BUILDING WORTHY OF A CITY Bv UQW, the new premises erected for the local branch of the Bank of New South Wales on the miner of Main Street and Napiei Street have been accepted as part and parcel of the town s changing skyline, and those who have had the. privilege of inspecting the building are lavish in their praises of this fine new structure. Modern and complete in every detail, the. bank builonur is worthy of a city, and Opunake may well be proud of this latest addition to the business area

To all, the achitectural features of the building, with its straight, almost, severe, but very purposeful lines, are very familiar, but. the interior design and the execution of the plana holds h special interest, for all who visit it. Here., much of the work is, completed, but, it will be some little time before the bank opens its doors.

Passing through sliding doors which face Main Street, one enters by way of glass swingdoors the public room, the_ walls and ceiling being finished in two colours. A feature noticeable here and repeated throughout the rest of the building in the veneered doors, which an unadorned front. Modern in style, they indicate solidity, while, when oiled, varnished and polished, they will have a particularly attractive appearance. For some distance np the wall, a similar style is effected. Across a french-polished desk, the teller will face his customers, and there will be a bronze grille of novel design. Behind this desk adequate provision is made for the clerks, and there is a generous supply of desks. All unnecessary sound will be eliminated by the laying of a floor covering of a rubber composition, which will absorb sound. For a similar reason there is a space of several inches between the panelled ceiling of plaster board and the true _ ceiling of concrete, which is in effect the floor of the storev above. Guarded by walls a foot thick, heavily reinforced, the strongroom is commodious and resistapt to all enemies, natural and human. A solidly-constructed door nearly a ton in weight, supplies the final guarantee of immunity from attack from any cause. Attention to the welfare of its employees is evidently a strong feature of the bank’s policy, summer-time ventilation and winter-time heating being pro vided. There is a private entrance at the side of the building, and the usual toilet facilities. The manager’s office, another commodious room, is reached by a door from the public room, and from this access may be may be gained to the rear of the building. For stores or lumber, a well-ventilated room is located under the stairs which rise in two flights, to the living quarters above. A garage at street level, the doors being of the sliding type rather similar to those in use in modern fire-stations, occupies the eastern corner and here also is installed an automatic electric pump which draws from the 3500-gallon underground storage tank the water collected from the roof. This is pumped to the gravity tanks at. the top of the building and to the hot.-water sendees. A wash-house, with the usual appointments, and storage space for fuel, are the remaining features of the, ground floor. Four bedrooms are included in the living quarters on the top •storey and two have a splendid western aspect. All are fitted with built-in wardrobes, a fulllength mirror being fixed to the bade of the door. It would appear that the modern trend in architraves favours, the. curved stylo once thought old-fashioned, while in the papering of the ceiling in addition to the walls there is a tendency towards former fashions. A built-in porcelain bath is installed in the up-to-date bathroom, and here one nqtes that all pipes used in the water services, are of copper. Two duties are combined in the linen press which is fitted with a radiator for drying purposes. The living room is on the northern side, of the buildling and adjacent to it is, the sunporch, ' where sliding windows admit the maximuiq of natural light. This, opens off the diningroom and here it is to be noted, to avoid awkward difficulties in arranging the room, the jutting wall of the passage has been rounded off, the effect being an unusual but pleasing one. In the generously appointed kitchen, the average, housewife, would find many features which took her fancy. The sink, for instance is of stainless steel, and there is a cupboard for which a constant draught supplies refrigeration, the shelves being slatted. Tip-up bins, with removable containers line one wall beneath roomy cupboards the doors of which have novel catches. The loom will have an enamelled finish. in some light shade. From the kitchen, steps descend to the drying yard. It is most noticeable that, while every effort has been made to conserve space, nothing is wasted, everything being utilised. Fireplaces on the ground floor are so placed that the chimneys link with those of the floor above, and so unnecessary building and wastage pf space

are avoided. The architects, Messrs. Crighton, Tlanghton and McKay, of Wellington, are to he complimented upon their plans, in the execution of which Messrs. Bonn Bros., Ltd., have shown commendable thoroughness and efficiency.