10,000 Tiles Spell N.Z.R.

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 939, 4 April 1930, Page 8

10,000 Tiles Spell N.Z.R.

AUCKLAND’S NEW STATION Vast Number Being Used MORE tiles have been used in the construction of the new Auckland railway station than in any other building in New Zealand. For the walls of the bathrooms and kitchens alone something like 81,000 tiles have been used. Those bearing the letters “X.Z.R.,” which have been used on the walls and the pillars of the concourse, number about 10,000.

Tiles, in modern building construction, combine utility with hygiene. They are attractive, easily cleaned, and do not decay. That is why the architects used them so extensively in the new station. The world seems to have been combed for suitable tiles with which to decorate the various rooms and offices of the station. Supplies have been obtained from England, Australia, Spain, Holland and Czecho-Slovakia. Some of them are very lovely; all of them are decorative and in excellent taste. The tilemaker’s art is a very old one, and the tiles themselves required to be placed in position by expert craftsmen. Mr. J. Lovering was specially brought from Sydney to supervise the tiling at the station. Working with him is Mr. C. Ballantyne, of Auckland. Both men are experts. Two special tiles which were imported from Holland to decorate the walls of the general waiting room come from Delft, where the famous pottery of that name is manufactured. The firm which made them has been in existence for 300 years, and prides itself on its excellent craftsmanship. These two particular tiles have a conventional pattern, with raised lines dividing each colour. Each square of the many which compose the large tile was made separately. The colours are dull blue, green, red and gold, but the main design is in gold leaf, glazed and burnt into the clay. The Spanish tiles which line the counters and the lower part of the walls in the refreshment room are of the old style with the bright colours printed on them. Their conventional flowers and leaves ■will give the room a most attractive appearance. In the kitchen and the serveries glazed tiles have been used. The colour is warm with a decorative bor-

der of light blue. Blue and white tiles will be used on the floors, thus making for brightness and cleanliness. Perhaps the most interesting tiles are the thousands which have been used on the walls and pillars of the concourse, the spacious thoroughfare which gives access to most of the public rooms and offices and to the subways leading to the various arrival and departure platforms. These are dull orange and red—the orange predominating. They are all hand-made tiles and come from Burslem, England. The design “N.Z.R.” stands out in relief. Fitted into the pillars and the -walls are special tiles representing the history of transport, beginning with the old bullock wagons, and ending with a modern locomotive. They are excellently made and are interesting examples of the modern work of the tile-maker. A dull, smoky-coloured tile has been used for the walls of the bathrooms, with mosaic tiles of sage-green and blue on the floors. In the telephone boxes crimson and black tiles will give a dash of colour. All the underground subways and the ramps leading to and from them will be tiled when the building is finished. The colours have been much less bright but none the less effective. When the present litter of workmen’s tools, the barrels, boxes and timber have been cleared away the full beauty of the tiles will be recognised. At present they are more or less hidden under a coat of dust. Keeping the walls and floors clean -will be a comparatively simple matter, for a damp cloth will remove any dirt or dust. This attention to hygiene exercised the minds of the architects when they -were designing the station, and the final result should justify their thoughtfulness in providing a material which is clean, healthy and easy to look on.