A DIFFICULT UNDERTAKING,

Otago Witness, Issue 2803, 4 December 1907, Page 37

A DIFFICULT UNDERTAKING,

IMPROVEMENTS AT HALLENSTEIN BROS.' PREMISES AT INVERCARGILL. (See Illustrations.)^-** With the advance of ,our cities, it frequently happens that business premises once considered perfect and up-to-date become unsuited to the needs of their occupants, thereby necessitating either complete rebuilding or extensive alterations. Huch «v the case with the large fine Mock of buildings at the corner of Dee and Eslc streets, Invercargill, once known as "Hall's Corner," and now as the premises of M«ssrs Hallensteirt Bros.' (Ltd.) New Zealand Clothing' Factory. The latter firm purchased these buildings some nine years ago, occupyinc the corner shop themselves. «r«o letting wxe reat of the pr^mis^i to jothers. It was soon found that the corner fehop was ill-lighted and cramped owing to the^ immense ■ size of the old corner and lEsk street masonry piers supporting the two upper storeys: After consultation with the firm's architect— Mr E. R. Wilson, of Mackenzie and Wilson^ of Invercargill — it was decided on his advice to remove these objectionable piers and substitute smaller piers of 6teel and concrete. Considering the difficulties involved, it was decided to- have the work done by day labour under the architect's immediate supervision, and Mr A. Dallwas employed as workine foreman to carry out the work wjth an efficient •tiff of men. The difficulty of the undertaking was greatly increased by the presence of a saseirient storey Bft below the pavement, by the necessity ot the removal of the old concrete foundations rising to the nath, and of the old street girders on each frontage, owing to' their being too short to reach the new and smaller corner stanchion, and by the absolute necessity of keeping all of the business" on each floor ?oing free from interruption as well as the street paths open for traffic. One of the illustrations elsewhere shows the method employed to support the ur»r«er buildine while the old worlr was removed from below, -the , new foundations, columns, girders, etc., iri«*rted. and the appearance eeneralTy altered, -as shown in our second illustration. The load supported at. the «*o*ner is »3 tons, and as this load would be concentrated on a much smaller arm than forInerlv, the old concrete foundations had to be hacked out to a d«»pth o' ""Oft He'nw th# street level. To «11 appearances the building ir now as at first bui)t. and a visitor -«or'+ find it. hand to believe that -St .had be«n suspended in mW-ai' 4 for ,'our w«ieks without any of its present supports — the fiul»*eet of pessimistic prediction."! of litter cpllanse on the t>art. of the wise man of. the street and of o^n »»«« of Hie city fathers and their adviser*. The old pi»m tooouoied an area of A* 9 o ncruare inehe* jrround measurement, while the new «!*'■« Cover oril* ""SO square* inch"*. The whole ©f this • work was carried through without. the slightest crack or fault ap-roaring than or" oince in the brick walls a^ov«>. or of accident of any kind — a faot which speaks volume? for the ear« of the foreman a» well a* for the method n' execution as devined by the architect, '"'he windiw« are amoncr the finest in the dominion, fitted *tfith vorv fine «an^*«i and low sills, and lined throughout, with mirrc rdate- «i'Jft«3 t* a height of 6ft above *b» footrtath. enaWinjr th«» *rm to make splendid displays nf. their wpP-Vnown vood«. and with a iia,nd«ome corner embo««ed mirror i>l«te auite concealing the «roall wirmort* r>f +he structure above. A fir>» tnifatantia) class and iron verandah 16W* in lens+h oxten4» along *he entire street *ront•ras. and the srwx»ral frpshnw. briflrht-nemt. and inviting ar«t>earano» sn<-i«lr -volumes for the . 8'"vp«« and d*»ir»»bilit.v of *h* enterprise. M^°«rß H«llenstein may well congratulate therm**!"** on the successful acoomt> l i'°h'iient. of th« 9 work, and it re one mor« +<»«t' T nonv to the faith iranj'<?>*t< i d in Tnvercarwill a« a^ *>o»nInf ♦ow W one of our most prominent business firms.