THE CHURCH IN OUR MIDST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 17

THE CHURCH IN OUR MIDST.

ANOTHER FINE EDIFICE. THE NEW CHURCH OF CHRIST. To those too readily to point the finger of warning at the sins that so easily beset our city, the erection of yet another handsome church in Dunedin should serve as a reassurance that after all there is a pious and devout element in our midst. At the corner of St. Andrew and Filleul streets there is at present in the course of construction the largest church that has been erected in Dunedin during the past 14 years. This building, which is now nearing completion, will form the Mecca of those of the Church of Christ persuasion, whose place of worship in the old Tabernacle in King street has been sold for use as a warehouse. A Daily Times reporter made a tour of inspection of the works on Thursday last in company with the architect (Mr D. G. Mowat). THE EXTERIOR. The style of architecture adopted is the Renaissance type, the exterior design of which is made the more striking by reason of its simplicity. The church is ideally situated on the corner of the two streets, and possesses a liberal street frontage on two elevations. Along St. Andrew street is the church itself, and on the Filleul street elevation, though not distinct from the churth, is the Bible school, and on top of that a spacious social hall. The whole edifice has been done .in brick, with doorways, windows, and copings of Oamaru stone, which relieve in a striking manner the sombre hue of the bricks and mortar. Three large windows along the St. Andrew street wall assure adequate lighting in the church. One of these windows, the middle one, will be finished off with a beautiful memorial leadlight. Small circular windows at judicious in-a tervals, framed in Oamaru stone, relieve the monotony of red brick and otherwise too severe symmetry. Two foundation stones on either elevation adorn the lower wall. The one on the Sunday School was laid by Mr J. W. Stokes, and the one on-the church by Captain Sundstrum. Around the whole building at the bottom of the walls will run a border of whitewash. Though the Sunday school and the church are contained in the one building the design of each is distinct so that the school section does not in any way detract from the striking effc of the church architecture. The school has been done on less e!*borate, though by no means severe lines. Surmounting the whole structure is an impiossive-looking tower of Oamaru stone crowned with a copper dome some seven® r eight feet in height. The height of the tower from the -round to the. top is m the vicinity of GO feet. Carved designs on the Oamaru stone facings are among the decoral ions on the outer walls. ....... The roofs have been designed with two parallel gables, and will be covered with slates. FOUNDATIONS. The work of sinking the concrete piers for the foundations was found to be a much more difficult task than was anticipated. Excavations showed that .or many feet down there was little more than b6ggv, swampy spoil. It was finally necessary to sink 35 concrete piers to a depth of 22ft before bedrock m the form °* natural gravel could be struck. On piers, carrying the whole of t! n weight of the building, r ns a concrete beam sft in depth. It is on these solid foundations that the Church of Christ has been built, and will stand while D.unedin stands. On sinking the piers great lo»s of timber had to be removed, and the diggers found manv traces of earlv Maori occupation. THE INTERIOR. The decoration of the interior has not yet been commenced, but the walls will be finished off with granite plaster work with a dado running round all the walls. The floor of the nave is “dished” in three directions, all the sloped converging of the pulpit, which is set in one corner, immediafcjJr ha faun the baptistry. Ths choir seats will face the congregation Afreet, the organ oipes being on either side and the controls Immediately in front of the choir seats. Between the Bible school and the church are accordeon doors, by means of which the seating accommodation can be increased -in time of stress. The open timber roof trusses, besides making an attractive display, will greatly help the acoustic properties of the building. A new departure has been made in putting both the pulpit and the baptistry in one corner. Immediately behind the bap-

tistry is an apparatus for heating the water. It is proposed to heat the church by means of hot air currents emanating from a plant installed beneath the choir space. The Bible school, which is designed on up-to-date lines, and the social hall upstairs will be heated by means of gas heaters. AN EXCELLENT UNDERTAKING. In every way the new church will be a credit to the architect and to the builder'(Mr W. M‘Lellan). Its situation on the corner of the two streets gives it a commanding ..ppearance, and its central position will enable it to fulfil to the utmost its function as a city church. All sections of the 'trade are at present busily engaged on the work, hastening it on to an early conclusion. Every modern principle in church building and layout has been carefuly considered, and, where possible, adopted, and Dunedin, which already is known by her splendid religious, educational, and public buildings, will have yet another edifice to add to an already satisfactory total.