Town Improvements.

Southland Times, Issue 19726, 29 January 1906, Page 2

Town Improvements.

NEW ESIC STREET PREMISES. Tho piece of ground In ■ Esk street between the A.M.P. Bui.b ngs and the N.Z. Clothing Factory's premises, formerly occupi. rt l’,y a somewhat decrepit and nit i 'fitly building used ns a fish shop, . - no w covered by a building that pi . nt-s a handsome front and coniph Ist lie street facade. Every .inch of ground has been utilised, the building covering | the full measurement, 1 lihifr. x B4tt., or rather more than an eighth of an a civ. In the front part the ground floor is devoted to a handsome shop and hairdressing sal..on, specially designed and fitted for Messrs Double Bros. Upstairs are tw;> suites of offices, occupied respectively by Messrs McKenzie and Wilson, architects, amt ,Mr ,C. S. Longuet, sol.iiior. Tho back portion of tho building Is a spacious store used by Messrs Mathesoh and Co., grocers, who own tho premises. It is difflcilt :o know to whom congratulations should first bo extended in such a case ns this —to the owners of the valuable site and handsome building, to the architect responsible for so pie. sing an oddititin to the business ) ivuTses of the town and to its strec architecture, or to the tenants wh > .tra fortunate enough to have alL.thii.- r.vpiiromonts aml conveniences so mrcfully provided for. Taking t' e ground Moor first, the well-known hairdressers and tobacconists, .MESSRS DOUBLE 8R05.,; are certainly fortunate in having at their disposal what will undoubtedly he one of the most u,,-io-date saloons in New 'Zealand. Indeed, a speaking acquaintance with most es-« tablishments of tli ■ ■ i.ig from Invercargill to Aucklun i ...Hiles Hie scribe to assert wiln s.,.ne claim to authority that tile InvercargiUito will henceforth be aide to get hid hair cut or his incipient heard removed in surroundings -as luxurious as any that tho dwellers in tho larger centres can boas!. in every respect the saloon bears witness to the application of the latest ideas., r J lie show windows are of plate glass, with handsome mirror hacks and dust-proof glass tops. With the ■ floor covered in red ) lush and embellished with a gliiie. iug array of silver-mounted pipes, canes, and other attractive tobacconist’s goods, the windows consideracly enhance j (lie shop decorations of the town, and defy the male portion of tho community, at all ev. Nts, to pass j without looking in. Entering tho shop, the visitor tin’s on his left .hand the counter, wifi ’i is worthy of j not ice as displaying A. L rod phio at its best. The counter top is a beautiful piece of .timber, and an illustration of the fact that the New Zealand cabinetmaker is under no necessity to go beyond the colony for figured limber. A piece of red l>ino Mich as is seen here is fit for the best sideboard or best wardrobe in an earl’s mansion. Behind the counter is a range of neat shelving. Passing on. wo find the ladies’ hairdressing saloon, a comfortable room well lilted up and well lighted. Swing doors give a Imittanco from the public shop to Ihe main hairdressing saloon, 2-1 ft. square. Hero the general design and equipment call for the warmest praise. On the north side is ci Reties of lofty windows which admit a Hood of light to every part of Hie room. The east and west walls are ornamented with mirrors which make provision for six chairs. On the south side are the settees for customers waiting (heir turn. The furniture is upholstered in red plush. The walls are nicely tinted, and the ceiling is handsomely finished in figured steel with a suitable cornice. Tho firm have introduced tho latest contrivance for providing hot water for shaving and shampooing, a high pressure being let into the wall. They have also imported from America the latest solitary accessory to the barber’s shop—a press in which all tho implements in use (scissors, razors, towels, brushes, etc.) are sterilised and disinfected after use. In their new premises Messrs Double Bros, can assure their large circle of clients of first-class accommodation and first-class attention. Entering a door which gives access to (he offices on the FIRST FLOOR, (he visitor crosses a nicely tiled vestibule and ascends a staircase noteworthy for iis easy rise. The hall at the top is spacious and well lighted. In tile dado and staircase, as elsewhere in the building, the attention of the visi'or is arrested by the fine figuring of red pine, and a comment elicits the information that Messrs McCallum ami Co. and Messrs Riddell and Poole have supplied for these premises some of the choicest red [>ine that it lias been the lot of an Invercargill contractor to use. The beautiful markings are brought out well by tho oiled finish, and altogether tlio red pi no dados, mouldings and doors are a feature of both the shops and (he offices. Arrived on the stair landing, we find on the left hand Messrs McKenzie and WILSON'S commodious suite of offices, comprising three rooms. The largo draughting mom is provided with immense tables, which, however, are none too big to accommodate tho detailed drawings of tha ornamentation of the new theatre, upon which Mr Wilson is now engaged. No one who has not seen tlio mountainous pile of these details can have any conception of tho amount of work involved in the new municipal buildings. Here, with tho steady and agreeable south light copiously admitted, the draughtsman can work in comfort with all conveniences at his hand. On tho one hand is Air Wilson's private office ami the strongroom, in which accumulated plans and other documents of importance are stored in safety. On (lie other hand is a’ contractor’s room, intended for the convenience of contractors examining plans and specifications, taking out measurements, and so on. Across the landing MR C. S. LONGUET tas a commodious and well-appoint-•d private office and a convenient irivate room.; As in the case of Messrs Double Bros., both Messrs McKenzie and ’Wilson and Mr Longuet vero fortunate enough 'to have their ■equireinents consulted in the designing of tho building, and they iow enjoy the possession of offices which could not have been 1 letter suited to their purposes if they had milt them themselves. At tho back s MESSRS MATHESON AND CO.’S large storeroom. It has a light dnel-trussed roof with a span of 34 ect. It is well lighted and suitably itted for the storage of merchaniisu. The greater part of the ground s covered by a staging of a conenient height for the unloading and oading of drays. Beneath the stagng is a basement for tho accommoiation of empty cases of goods, ’lose at hand is a packing room, vhere stores are prenared for sendng out to customers. The storeootn is connected with the firm’s remises, which front on Dee street. The street frontage of the building s finished with a glass and iron orandah of light and artistic deign, similar to that in front of ho Dee street shoo, end it is undortood that a vern--’”T of the sanrlattern will short lv • '--instructed ound Messrs Ha’ I ''".® nremis'-" hus giving a uni’’"- - -'-e-imnee to his Important’ co:u:r,

u uj. .hi ii«m*«^saesasßEaßaßH , v hi cannwHqn ,wtth ,tha pferniaea under rocoguJtitihH Is duo ■to ‘ Mr B. H. WUfloiik ttofc architect, for tho admirable uao be has made pt the at ills; *djsposttl t and for manner in which ho has mot all 'the requirements of the tenants. Tho contract has been executed by Mr Malcolm Robcrtsoti with a conscientious thoroughness and workmanlike skill that deserve the highest praisoThe verandah and the ironwork of tho building ami tho strongroom doors aro tho product of Messrs Johnston and Sons’ well-known foundry, and the painting has been tastefully done by Messrs McChcsney and Cushen. The building as a whole serves as an indication of the stage of development that the town has reached <