THE THEATRE SITE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14359, 3 February 1911, Page 4

THE THEATRE SITE.

Of the four local arohiteots who pave their opinions on the subject before the Borough Council on Wednesday night, it was agreed by threo that tho municipal section at tho corner of George and Latter streets is not suitable for the erection of a theatre and municipal offices, after providing for the extension of the library. We lay no stress upon tho point that the fourth architect, who held that all these buildings could be satisfactorily erected on tho site, was tho only one to produce n sketch plan, with dimensions, in support of his ideas. The others were entirely justified, if they chose to take up that position, in declining to do more than to set forth the disadvantages of the location in much more general terms. Mr Turnbull, for example, stated that, " lie was not going into how a theatre could be plannod. Tho Council could hardly expoot that if the architects were to entor into eompetilion in the matter later on." There certainly was some force in this contention, and wc must admit that those architects who opposed the site were fully justified in not choosing to discuss the plan submitted by another local architect or t\'e dimensions nl big theatres in other towns which it was stated are erected on 110 larger areas. It would, of course, throw nuieli light on the whole question '.f exact and comprehensive comparisons were made between the measurements of the local sile, and those which have been utilised successfully in other places, lint 'I was 100 much to evneet the local arch it eels to eo into such compari.'iitis, especially on the meagre data which they had beioro iliem. It inumixu in

■itu-eivly ilu* professional "'cntlil- - who siilmuUi'tl llu-ir opinions. on the whole vt-ry i-lcarl/ , •ami empUiitieally, in _ the pulilic interest, and to lie guided by the of their majority that the George street site, as it no v stands, is inadequate for the construction of a safe and suifieientlv commodious theatre, in conjunction with the other schemes o.v which the problem <d its erection on this section is unfortunately embarrassed. . 1 The Mayor Las called a speemi meeting o£ the Council for next Monday evening, at which the discussion on the question o- the sito will bo continued, and ho expressed his intention to invite offers of other sites, to bo submitted by the next meeting of the Council.' This is, no doubt, the best course to pursue, but the George stre-oi site should not be filially condemned us hopeless till tha effect of its enlargement by the acquisition of a part, or all of the adjacent section has been fully weighed. This is an important aspect which apparently was r.et considered by the architects who opposed the George street site. The only architect who referred to it was Mr Hall, who,.replying to a question, sari that if the Council bought Mr CuthbeitV property there would be " plenty-of room for a theatre with a rijrht-of-way round three sides." No harm can be done, and the Council will derive the advantage of in possession of all the alternatives that can lie before it; by adopting 1 the suggestion of the Mayor and at once inviting offers of other 6ites, but it is too soon to regard .the George street site as altogether out of the Question till full consideration has Been given to the effect of this addition. It should be remembered, also, that the proposal of a theatre to seat 1400 suggests an extreme capacity. ! A' building to accommodate 1200 would have half the capacity again of the existing Theatre Royal, and would, we believe, serve all the requirements of the town even better than a larger edifice.