A Beautiful White Desert City.

Progress, Volume IV, Issue 7, 1 May 1909, Page 246

A Beautiful White Desert City.

Ileliopolis, the City of the Desert, as it if named, will be ready for occupancy next season. It is situated some 20 miles from Cairo, and to acquaint the foreigners now living at the last-named place, with its beauties, an electric tram service has been installed that carries sightseers to the site free of charge. The grounds and buildings are owned by a British syndicate. The great Casino is under roof, and what is intended to be the largest hotel in the world will probably be finished before Spring. There are beautiful gardens and grand boulevards, set with palms and flowers. Except for its vegetation, the city will be entirely white.

Wellington Notes. Messrs J. Godber & Co., Ltd., are opening up a shop in Lambton quay, at present occupied by Messrs Gamble & Son, who are moving a few doors away. This shop is to be remodelled, the partitions forming fitting and work rooms are to be cleared away, a handsome archway taking the place of one, and an additional window is to be put in the side wall to add to the light. The main feature will undoubtedly be a wide staircase starting from opposite a new entrance door, and thence across the shop (with handsome open balustrade on each side), leading to the firm's old-established dining-rooms on the upper floor, over Messrs Littlejohn's new shop. On the right of the upper part of the staircase i.e., on the landing from which the dining-room is at present approached, is to be a space for palms and ferns, shut off from the existing landing by glass partitions. The supports of that

part of the staircase going acioss the shop will be finished with arches of Moorish character, to harmonise with the before-mentioned new arch, the balustrading of staircase, and the new counter, which will also be to match . The whole of the staircase and arches are to be of heart of rimu dead polished, and the counter of heart of rimu relieved with kauri knot and maire. The present shop front is to be reversed and a new and wider door put in to give better access to the new staircase. The work is being carried out by Messis J. & A. Wilson, from plans and details supplied bv Mr. C. Tilleard Natusch, and undei that aichitect's supervision. A brick residence i& about to be erected in Boulcott street from the designs of Mr. C. Tilleard Natusch, the contract having been let to Messrs Sanders Bros.

The planning of the house is most compact, every available inch having been utilised, while at the same time there will be a feeling of spaciousness in the hall and landings, which give access to the eleven bedrooms and bathroom, This residence is to be run by its proprietress. Mrs. Austin, in conjunction with another house on the same property, as an "Apartment house. ' ' Internally the house is to be well, though simply, finished in heart of rimu. Externally the fiont will be finished in pressed bricks, with gauged arches to windows relieved with cement key stones, string and cornice mouldings, and two small reinforced concrete balconies will project on either side of the wide central bay window. A special feature of the house will be the garden roof, access to which will be obtained by a staircase from the main landing through a well-lighted lantern.

These two pictures are reproductions of a charming house built in Tinakori Road and designed by Mr. Chapman-Taylor, architect and craftsman. There are no shams about this house, inside or out. The great jarrah beams supporting the floor above; the solid door-posts and plain tinted wall spaces all combine to give a feeling of modest tranquillity. The comfortable ingle fireplaces free from draughts give that sense of cosiness so seldom seen in colonial houses. All the woodwork is oiled jarrah with old fashioned latches and hinges to the doors. None of the trumpery rubbish made to sell, not to use, here. These latches are made by hand by Englishmen and will last for ever. More than that, they cost no more than the aforesaid rubbish. The rooms are fitted with bookshelves, sideboard, seats, etc., which bemg built in. look as furniture should, so that one could not imagine the room without them. All the bedrooms have dressing tables, wardrobes, etc., built in and all designed in keeping with the rest. * This review would not be complete without mention of the motor house, which, roughcast like the rest, has a great

rough jaiTah beam over the doorway. Quite free from ornament it subordinates itself to the rest with becoming modesty.

In the house the walls instead of being • lined with wood are covered with Eternit Asbestos sheets and distempered and are therefore practically fireproof.