THE TOWN’S PROGRESS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 October 1922, Page 4

THE TOWN’S PROGRESS.

NEW STATE FIRE OFFICE A HANDSOME STRUCTURE. A further addition to the number of handsome and up-to-date business premises which have been erected in New Plymouth recently will be the new offices for the New Zealand Government State Fire Insurance Department, for which tenders are now being called. The building is to be erected in Egmont St., next to the Northern Steamship Company’s office, and will have a frontage of 40 feet and a depth of 95 ft. 9 in. The architect (Mr. T. H. Bates) has designed a very handsome structure of two stories, which, with the basement, will give \three floors in all. Constructed with reinforced concrete walls, concrete floors, steel window frames, and iron balustrading on the stairs, the building will be absolutely fire proof. It is also to be heated by a hot water system and radiators. The whole of the front is to be done in free stone and should present a very fine appearance with its two stone columns, with bronze bases and capitals running the full height of the building on either side of the doorway, which is to be surmounted by a balcony with wrought iron balustrading. Carved out of the stone at . the top will be the New Zealand coat of arms, while below, and spread out across the full width of the building in brdnze letters, will be the name of the office. Inside the building, to which entrance is effected up several easy steps with Houlton nosings and tile treads, a pair of swing doors will keep out draughts, etc. Passing through these the corridor will be entered, the whole of the walls, as well as those of the staircase on the left leading to the second floor, being covered with New Zealand marble. The floor coverings of the corridor and the offices to be used by the department, which, by the way, * are all on the ground floor, are to be covered with Rublino of special pattern. At ths end of the corridor another pair of swing doors will give access to the large public counter of the department. On the second floor will be a number of commodious offices for letting purpose*, which will be specially suitable for Anns having the custody of important documents, etc., as ample strong room accommodation is to be provided both for tenants and for the department. At the rear of the premises there will be a garage for the department’s use. Further modern convenience 4nll also be furnish ed in the installation of a destructor in which all the daily accumulations of office rubbish can be burnt.

The stream which flows through the section is to be covered with a reinforced concrete culvert, while in view of the fact that the building is being erected to carry two more stories at a future date, the foundations are to be put down to a depth of thirty feet.