GUESS-WORK FOR ARCHITECTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14416, 11 April 1911, Page 4

GUESS-WORK FOR ARCHITECTS.

This country will he able to thank the Hon. JR. McKensde, Minister for Public Works, if very few architects take part in the guessing competition -which he has inaugurated in connection with the plans for new Parliamentary Buildings, and if the (iicw home of its Legislature, which will be required to serve it for many decades to come, is not a credit to the' Dominion. When eompetitivo designs ' for these buildings were invited a few weeks ago, tha New Zealand In-! stitnto of .Architects toolc . ohjec- i tion to the conditions laid down I for two main reasons, first, that j the informaton given ■ as to the ; Government's requirements was far too vague and general, and second, that competitors were not all being placed upon an equal footing. It was stated, that unless the Minister agreed to amend the conditions to meet their ideas of fairness, very few, if any members of the Institute would compete. A week ago a representative deputation of .architects waited upon the Minister in '■■(. 'hristchurch, and suggested, among other things that the conditions of the competition should be those of the British [lnstitute of Architects, which were endorsed by ibe New Zealand Institute, and which give i-tlie fullest guarantee of all-round | fairness. Mr McKcnzie replied, ' with his customary incisiveuess, that " he could inform the deputation at once that the Government did not intend to consult the British Institute, and was not concerned about it in, the least I degree." The answer which is ] now given, through the t'nder- ; Secretary for Public. Works, to the other requests of the archi- ' tccts' deputation, suggests that I the Government is just as little concerned about the opinions of the New Zealand Institute. In j every instance except one its proi posal.-; have been met with a flat " Xo,"' and its members must I either be satisfied to work largely j in the dark or leave the competition alone. I And yet it is hard to see ihew the Minister or Cabinet—for lit, was stated that one at least of j the requests would be referred to I Cabinet —could possibly defend j the attitude that has been taken j up. It can be easily understood i that the housing requirements of j u Lcii-islniure are extremely comi plex. Li is not merely a qucsI lion of providing debating cham- '. hers for two expanding pnrliamentary assemblies. Rooms must be provided for Ministers, Whips, a considerable staff, which will increase in future, of officers of both Houses, committee rooms, rooms in which constituents can interview their members, rooms for the Press and Hansard, Bellamy's, tea-rooms, general and ladies' galleries, and oilier accommodation. And these rooms must not, only be provided, of a size sufficient to meet the needs both of the present and of the future, but proximities and relationships must be observed, which the routine of Parliamentary business makes imperative, and the facts of which can only be ascertained by experience. That experience practically nobody possesses but Ministers, rnei.-iieis, and llie Government Architect, who has directed alterations of these buildings in the past, and knows nvorv

detail of what is required for the convenience of the i.'urliaincntary assemblies, staff, aud public. Vet, for the competitive designs which it invites, the Government has provided only the vnguwst and most general information as to requirements, and ti'je Government Architect, who knows everything, will be allowed to be a candidate with all the 'outside architects who know next! to nothing. The Aii'liitects' Institute asked Unit, in accordance with the British system, an assessor should be appointed from the opening of tho competition, who would be nblo to give information, on special points, and act as an .intermediary in representing the ideas of competitors to the Government, rind its ideas to architects. As this system is carried out in England, candidate's are free to nsk for reasonable information, but they are all treated alike. Only one answer is given, and the same answer goes to all, by circular. On a certain date replies to (lie various questions are put together to be sent 1 to each competitor. The Government has refused to adopt this rational system. Its assessor, who will be selected from outside Jf.ew Zealand, will not be appointed till the close of the competition, and he will'noteven be the final arbiter as to tho designs submitted. These are to be considered by the assessor, and finally, by a Parliamentary Committee and the Minister, which opens up ~ possibilities of political influence' that should have been most carefully avoided. Tho Government will 'spend, upon these, buildings, -which should express the dignity and import- | anc.e, as well as the architectural capabilities of the Dominion, practically the same sum as was thought necessary to provide a post office for Wellington, .mil the Minister has stated/that architects must adapt the size of their rooms—for which, in only a-ft w cases, dimensions have been afforded—to the amount of money allowed for the building.. The conditions, which aro •• virtually unaffected by the latest departmental statement published by us this morning, affprd an almost perfect demonstration on. the Government's part ot "How not to do it," a lid we hope that' the New Zealand Institute of Architects has not said its last woid upon the subject.