WANT BETTER SITE FOR ART GALLERY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19154, 21 August 1930, Page 6

WANT BETTER SITE FOR ART GALLERY.

PETITIONERS OBJECT TO HOSPITAL GROUND

The following petition has been prepared for presentation to the Ci 13Council and Domains Board:— “ We, the artists and art critics of Christchurch, petition that the Art Gallery be not built on the damp riverbanks of the Hospital ground. This site was very largely- under water during the recent heavy rains and flood. We deplore that precious pictures should be housed under these conditions. The damage that floods inflict may- be learnt from the Tate Gallery-, when Turners and other valuable pictures suffered greatly. Is it right that, we should expose pictures needlessly to this risk? The expenditure on fuel must necessarily be exceedingly costly-. In order to keep the damp concrete basement dry-, in soil soaked by- the seepage from the river, heating will have to be carried on throughout the year, and the fuel bill consequently will be excessive. “Further, we strongly- protest against building on the afready exceedingly limited Hospital grounds. More and more is it recognised that open breathing space round hospitals is an absolute necessity-. Two of the most up-to-date hospitals in the world, the hospital at Hamburg and that at Copenhagen, have transferred their buildings to the outskirts of the cityto provide better air and more space to hasten the recovery of the patients. Yet the proposal is that we should actually build upon the already limited ground of the Hospital in direct opposition to the behest of the pilgrim pioneers. “ Another disadvantage to the Hos. pital site is that it is away from the stream of traffic. Other sites are available. There is the lawn in front of the knoll of trees in the Gardens, which Mr Armstrong first chose as being the most suitable in our city. A popular site, too, would be inside the Armagh Street entrance, or, best of all. at the Hereford Street entrance. “ Certainly both sites are on public ground, but should you decide to build on public ground, }-ou would only- be following the example set by- many- of the best European art galleries. “ The Prado of Madrid, perhaps the most famous art gallery in the world, is built among trees on the edge of a beautiful public park: and the Luxemburg Gallery- in Paris is similarlysituated in the lovely Luxemburg Gardens. Two other examples only may be mentioned nearer home—Sydney and San Francisco both chose public gardens as the most suitable and beautiful site on which to erect 1 their art galleries. “ For the sake of the pictures, as well as on humanitarian grounds, we earnestly trust that you will choose some site other than the Hospital on] which to build the Art Gallerv.” j

August 20, 1930. The petition is signed by Dr G. M. L. Lester, Mr A. F. Nicoll, Professor Shelley, and several others.