I ST. JOSEPH'S CONVENT

Otago Witness, Issue 1343, 25 August 1877, Page 4

I ST. JOSEPH'S CONVENT

, In'^ront of 'the present Convent is erected a" concrete' building' for, ,the%J3isteW "6i -St. Dominic in .Dunedin: l j Tfie,styTe" ! cnosen u for the external d'edbratioi^is" that' J df r 'tne old Saxon, 'ai<very plain ( and --'simple^ stfyle^but one that has -'the 1 'recommendation -8f '(being -the most "economical^ of jail -^ecclesiastical styles. The present erectioa;o'aly,comprisea about •one,- J tb i isd>rof.v the entirej-cony^ilt and .schools/ which 1 jit- ia < proposed jto; -.construct, t%4r-* n ®.- designs, fpr ; wMolf *lia > V£ t '. been' furnished 'by the a'rchit'eAfc,j' JW. Petre. .16 ; was originally /desigrie'dTto be " built* in. brick, ' b'u^Wh^n'theViendi/MfcSn^e in there .was due fdr f 'its; 'erection in'*bondrete, "ana ; on : compa'fihgthe i r'es'pi!ctlv le;!(3bstsii<?'waß1 e ;! (3bsts i i<?'waB 1 Mind " that.-tße^difference 1 'i^Tavbitflpf-'the latter material was'so' great' thai? Ut ! received the preference; i;. The /contracting Mrijamea Small.t commenced ' work 'in December; Jast, and it Is .expgeted that- theib.iiildgi&iwJU be finished ant ready fpr-occugationlby^he end .of^mo.ath,. ;., , ; ./i^t,,.^., . kJ thia, portion, consists , of r ,a v thr^atorey ",block\havirig a fronijage.^of, 60£ti $0.. Smith street ' and " a similar - frontage '^^"p'o' wling street, and has a"gooii u c*6mn;aiiviing { sfie t . It contain^ in . all ! s4'fb ! om'ssthe f "''principal 1 ones being the community room,'- 30 x''2o*-x u 16 ; | the refectory, :32'X 205-xa6;'lthe^arl^ttr, " 30 x 20 x 16 ; the infirmary; £0 x 20 Vje-nSO, and 16 x.JU},x';l2 j'*he chapter.room,(2o x 20 xl 6 j the kitqhen,i,22 x<2Qfx^Q^u%ixete , are in addition numerqus^ptheß roomfa necessary for the requirements of ihe O^der, amongst them -.being, ; 24. cell?, or sleeping apartment's, which" have an L average size of 12 x 9 x 10f6. There are also five bathrooms all provided 1 with hot" water from the.'niaia high pressure boiler iri the kitchen. J All the 'principal rooms' 1 have' fireplaces^'' krid'^fche others are warmed by means 'of hot air'p'ipes which are kept filled I ' by the working' of a . small fan engine, which- drives the cools r air through 1 a furnace, situated on the" basement floor, and then passes in its heated condition into the, pipes. The .kitchen < Is provided wish a 6ft. 6in. lieamington .range, and' Doiler, which keeps up the, supply f of hot' .water throughout the establishment.' ! ". ;'; ' '* Every atten6ioii has been['given' ; to']the ensuring a perfect system of vehiilaHon. Throughout the ■''building are foul: air' tubes encased in the walls, and carried up ''teethe main tube situated in the roof.' ' The vitia J ted air on passing into thi3 tube is .drawn out through openings specially arranged, for, that purpose., . . , -„-, j.i,, Thp, interior of ,the building ia^nished-in a plain but substantial manner. Wqod;.wprk varnished and arranged so as to bruig *mto pleasant contrast the various BpecieYjsf. ber has been largely made use of" for 'th'ese decorations.' - '-" ' ' ' l \'-'<p The main entrance td fSie\ building^ is gained from Smith street by means of a terrace and flight of concrete steps, which are sheltered by a screen opening into the hall. There iaj another entrance!, from-. Do jvling > street leading to .the basement-floor-,. b.ut this is more- particularly for f the- ÜBftpf tl\^jamates of the Convent. ' f