TOWN IMPROVEMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 20794, 7 June 1929, Page 9

TOWN IMPROVEMENTS

NEWBURGH BUILDINGS. MAGNIFICENT SUITE OF SHOPS AND OFFICES. After months of hard and expeditious work the Newburgh Buildings, a magnificent four-storeyed structure occupying the site of Lewis’s buildings at the corner of Esk and Dee streets and combining a welllaid out suite of shops and offices, is on the eve of completion. The finishing touches are now being put on, and early next week the contractors hope to conclude their work. Already some of the offices arc tenanted, and as the situation is absolutely central it is expected that the whole building will be let in a very short period. With the exception of the south wall, which consists of brick cavity curtain walls on concrete piers and beams, the whole building has been constructed in reinforced concrete. The floors and parapeted roof are carried on several major and minor concrete beams, which in turn are supported in the centre by four heavily reinforced concrete piers. Solidity and element-proof exteriors appear to be the keynote of the design, for the concrete roof is covered with a bitumen water-proofing specially prepared and manufactured in New Zealand and laid by British Pavements, Ltd., of Christchurch.

A feature of the building is the design of the high parapet walls on the roof. Seven large steel sashes, glazed with British plate glass, have been built in, and from these windows an excellent view of Invercargill and the surrounding country is obtained. The top floor comprises one large room; the second and third floors are divided into offices and the ground floor contains six shops with entrances from Dee street. At the rear of the shops the main entrance to the building is situated where access to the staircase and lift is made. The office partitions are of the screen type finished in beautiful red pine panels with glass screens above. Ample natural ..lighting is provided by the abundance of window space in every portion of the building. Expense has not. been spared in the finishings. The whole of the interior is finished in Keene’s cement plaster, with the exception of a dado in the main entrance, and the shops are finished in neat cement, which lends a dark grey effect. Polished Honduras mahogany gives a graceful finish to the shop entrances and window fittings.

Architecturally the outward appearance is designed on modern upright lines, the whole of the Dee and Esk street facades being finished in Dunedin silver sand and white Atlas cement. Both of these fronts arc lighted with floodlights fitted into a parapet, and four large floodlights adorn as well as provide splendid light on the verandah. All of these lamps are 1000 candle power, and should produce a very fine effect. The hanging verandahs are finished in fibrous plaster, and carry seven powerful lights for street lighting. Tiles neatly finish off the front piers and stall boards under the shop windows, also the shop entrances. Thene is no doubt but that the Newburgh Building is an imposing structure and reflects very great credit on the architect (Mr B. J. Ager, of Christchurch) and the builder (Mr W. Williamson, of Christchurch). The sub-contracts were handled by the following firms Plasterin— Hatherly Bros.; electric installation —W. Urlwin (both of Christchurch) ; plate glass—Akins and Robertson ; plumbing —Ayling and King, Christchurch; tiles, supplied by J. Edmond and Co.; fibrous plaster—F. Biggs and Co.

Mr T. Y. Clark, of Invercargill, represented the architects as clerk of works. Considering that the steel work for the building arrived in New Zealand late in November, the progress made has been a credit to Mr N. Shaw, who has hud sole charge (on behalf of the builder) throughout the construction period. The building is steam heated throughout and the plant was installed bv Vale and Co., Christchurch.