New Parliament House.

Progress, Volume VI, Issue 5, 1 March 1911, Page 588

New Parliament House.

Sir, —The Government having decided to throw open the above to public competition is a step in the right direction. Objectionable restrictions spring up, however, in this as in the majority of competitions promoted by public bodies. The true spirit of competition is to discover new talent in the profession, as witness the London County Hall competition, which brought to light an unknown man, and not the spirit of something for nothing. The Competition Reform Society, promoted by the Institute of British Architects, has been most successful in purifying competition methods. The membership, which includes all the best London and provincial architects, pledge themselves to refrain from giving any assistance, thus rendering a competition largely abortive, until the conditions supplied to architects are approved by the society. The new Parliament House conditions, just issued by the Government, contain this clause: "The Government reserves the right to adopt Or reject any of the designs, to dispense with architect's supervision, and to carry out the work under the supervision of its own officers." This clause is identical with the most serious one the institute has had to deal with, and I feel sure that the Government architect can have no sympathy with it, being himself a fellow of the institute. To explain: A building is to be erected, and the best scheme is required. Architects are invited to send in plans for a building costing, say £IOO,OOO. These will take week's to prepare, and will cost each architect anything from £IOO out of pocket expenses. If 50 architects compete the Executive get at the lowest estimate. £SOOO worth of work and ideas, for which they offer an average of about £IOOO in prizes. The Government prizes in this instance arc more generous, perhaps, only showing more plainly their ultimate intention. An architect runs a big risk (however trustful of his own ability he may be) against seeing any return whatever for his outlay, therefore he must see that the inducements offered are sufficiently attractive, or he will refrain and leave the competition to a few irresponsibles. I would suggest the following, which I recommend, to the notice of the New Zealand Institute : Remove the objectionable clause and make it absolute that the author of the designs placed first be appointed architect to carry out the

work on the usual professional terms. Paypremiums of, say, £SOO, £250, and £IOO to the next three placed in order of merit by the assessor, and add: "If through any cause the Government decides not to go on with any of the schemes placed by the assessor they will pay the authors of the three designs in order of merit £SOO, £250, and £IOO respectively, and will return all plans, whether entitled to a premium or not." Or this: "Preliminary plans and sketches to a small scale, in pencil to be submitted, from these a certain number,, say six, to be selected, and the others re-' turned. The selected six to be fully developed and finished by the authors, each to be paid, say £3OO for his work. The six schemes, under nom de plume or numbered, to be then submitted to an independent assessor of repute for adjudication, the one placed first to be appointed architect to carry out the work, etc., as before mentioned. This is the latest, and I think, the best method. Who of us architects has not visited some exhibition of competition drawings (witness the Town •Hall here), and our hearts ached at the sight of the vast number of beautiful and elaborately finished drawings, the result of hours of thoughtful study and days of infinite pains, useless labour all, after the decision is given, and not worth more to the author than so much waste paper. We have to run the risk of faulty judgment, of prejudice in style, of preconceived modes of planning, and even of crooked business in making of awards, so, I think, I can speak for the whole of the profession when I claim for them a fair field, no favour, and a generous reward for the fortunate one who come." out on top. Harold Matthew man.