Building Notes

Progress, Volume XI, Issue 12, 1 August 1916, Page 706

Building Notes

AUCKLAND. The fine new building for the New Zealand Insurance Coy. in Queen Street which is being erected to the designs of Messrs. Hoggard, Prouse and Gummer is progressing well. The steel framing is all up and a good deal of the concrete work is finished. The building is to be faced with Kairuru marble from Nelson district (the same marble that is being used to face the New Parliamentary buildings in Wellington). The stone varies in colour from almost pure white to a dark bluish-grey, and it is hoped to utilise this feature so as to produce a unique effect in the building's appearance. The darkest shades will be employed in the lower storeys and the lighter shades in the upper portion of the facade. A central portico entrance will be the main feature of the lower part of the building. It will be 40ft. wide and 27ft. high, passing upwards between two storeys. Two fine white marble columns will tower in the foreground, having bronze' bases and caps, the former bearing the monogram of the company. The pillars will be 3ft thick and their shining whiteness will form an effective contrast against the darker shadows of the portico. A great deal of delay has been caused in the building of the Myers Kindergarten by the difficulty experienced in obtaining the steel frames for the casements, but these have now come to hand, and the carpentry work is now practically finished, with the exception of putting in the doors. There yet remains a great deal of plastering to be done, as all the downstairs ceilings and walls have to be finished, in addition to some outside work on the rear portion of the building. It is now possible to gain a fair idea of the appearance the rooms will present when finished, these being fitted with accordeon collapsible doors in such a way that they can be practically converted into open-air balconies in fine weather. It is expected that the building will be completed this month. CHEISTCHUBCH. A new wing has just been added to St. Saviour's Orphanage, Bichmond. It is substantially built of brick, roofed with slates,

and is electrically lighted throughout. It is a one-storeyed building, in a splendidly sunny position. Along almost the whole front runs a deep and sheltered verandah, which can be fully protected from the wind by sliding glass screens and folding doors if necessary. At each end are spacious wards for the children, each being capable of holding about 30 beds without crowding. The wards arc furnished in first-rate style, and the rows of neat little iron beds and cots, with their spotless white counterpanes look very well indeed. Besides the children's wards are bedrooms for the sisters, a large playroom in which dolls' houses are a prominent feature, a sitting room for the sisters, a home-work room, splendidly-fitted-up bathrooms, and every opportunity has been taken to use up available space with cupboards, pantries, and other useful conveniences for rendering the working of the wing easy. Mr. Eighton at the dedication ceremony said that they had secured land for a boy's home at Timaru. The combined homes when furnished would ccst about £30,000. The Crystal Palace Limited are about to erect what they term the most up-to-date theatre in Christchurch, which is to be "a distinct advance on any picture theatre in New Zealand at present'' according to the Manager of the Company. The site gives access to the theatre from two directions, viz:— Gloucester Street and Cathedral Square. On the mezzanine floor will be an electrical fountain, palm alcoves, promenade, retiring rooms, and lounge. The company intends building similar theatres in the other main centres. DUNEDIN. The number of permits issued from June 16th to July 17th, was 31, representing £12,006 in value. The business premises included N.Z. Government Telephone Exchange Offices at South Dunedin. Branch Station for Dunedin Fire Board at South Dunedin. 6 brick buildings. 8 wooden buildings. 17 additions and alterations. Messrs. J. Barton & Son, Architects have let contracts for a five-roomed residence in Oxford Street and two seaside residences at Warrington each of five rooms with large verandah. Mr. E. W. Walden, Architect has in hand the following work:Extensive additions to Messrs Donaghy & Co's. rope factory in South Dunedin; Contractor Mr. J. S. White. Shops with offices above are being erected in George Street in connection with Lang's estate; the shop fronts will be completed in oak; the stall boards, piers, and ingoings to be tiled. A five-roomed brick residence has just been completed in Campbell Street; contractor W. H. Mills. .The same contractor has lately completed another five-roomed wooden residence in Eglinton Boad for Mr. B. Walden. The Metropole private hotel, St. Clair is undergoing extensive additions and is being renovated inside and out, the balcony is to be replaced and extended. When this work is completed the building will contain some 30 rooms. The work is being carried out by Messrs Robson & Crawford, contractors. Mr. Leslie D. Coombs, A.R.1.8.A., has in hand additions to the Oban hotel, Stuart Street, Messrs Wood & McCormack, contractors. Alterations and improvements have lately been made to the arrangement of the offices and to the front of the Waitaki Dairy Company's building in Castle Street, Messrs. Robert & Co., contractors. Messrs. Shank & Fountain's tender

has been accepted for the erection of the Paretai Co-oper-ative Dairy Company’s building at Paretai. On July 18th Mr. Leslie D. Coombs, A.R.1.8.A., lectured before the Technological Branch of the Otago Institute on “The Architecture of the Renaissance,” and on July 19th Mr. H. Mandeno read a paper before the Otago Branch, N.Z.I.A. on “Architectural Competitions.” The paper was much appreciated and led to a lively discussion. Mr. Vanes, of Messrs Salmond and Vanes, architects, anticipates having his plans ready this month so as to be able to call for tenders for the alterations and renovations of Trinity Methodist Church.

According to a reporter of the "Evening Star," Mr. Basil Hooper, the supervising architect for the new Anglican Cathedral says the work is progressing satisfactory. This is the biggest stone job going on in New Zealand at present, and the contractor Mr. W. MeLellan is having a busy time. Oamaru stone is used mainly. The part being completed (about one third) will seat 1,000 people. The walls are up about 6 feet above the floor, but owing to the slope of the ground the floor at the Octagon front is well overhead. The Dunedin "Star" understands that four promises have been made to subscribe to the fund now being raised for the completion of St Margaret's Residential College building (Presbyterian) schemeviz., one of £IOOO, two of £SOO, and one of £2OO. WELLINGTON" At the Synod Annual Meeting which took place last month the question of a site for an Anglican Cathedral was brought up and a committee was appointed to report to next years meeting on the question of the ultimate site for the cathedral, and the best method of dealing with the Taranaki Street property. Mr. Shirtcliffe said that the object was to hurry on the construction of the cathedral if possible. At the present rate it did not look as if the cathedral would be started for the next 40 or 50 years. At present the trust was in a more or less moribund condition. As the two acres in Taranaki Street were deteriorating in value they were only earning one and a half to two per cent. He did not know if the site was bought for the purpose of erecting a cathedral thereon, and there was bound to be a divergence of opinion as to where the structure should be erected. That was the primary question which had to be considered. The taxation on the unimproved value was very heavy, and the rentals they could hope to get would be far too small. In the event of Synod deciding that the cathedral should be erected elsewhere, it would be wise to consider the sale of the property and the investment of the proceeds at at least 5 per cent. This would give a much better return than at present. He wished that the committee should be given full power to investigate the present or any proposed site. The cost would not be heavy, and it would be a small price to pay for having the project thoroughly considered. Mr. T. F. Martin expressed the opinion that the committee should be given power to obtain the views of an architect on the subject. This suggestion was agreed to and Mr. Shirtcliffe said that at the rate of progress Wellington had made during the last twenty years there would be no sites available in fifty years' time except at a prohibitive price. If the site was fixed there would be a better chance of obtaining big donations. He was quite satisfied that funds would come in as soon as a start was made.

The motion was carried unanimously. Messrs. Swan & Swan have in hand the plans for a new private hotel. The new building, which will- have a 70ft. frontage to Plimmer’s Steps, is to be of three stories, with a concrete promenade roof. The ground floor will be taken up by a large lounge, billiard and smoking rooms, and a diningroom to seat 100 persons, with kitchen accommodation, etc., in addition. The first and second floors will contain fortyfive bedrooms, with several bathrooms and two large sittingrooms. A feature will be that provision for escape in the event of fire will be made in each of the upstairs rooms, thus obviating the necessity for occupants to flock to some central place of escape, as is so often the case. The new building promises to be a plain and substantial one, and work will be commenced almost immediately.

The foundations for the new officers’ mess building at Featherston have been put down, on a site opposite the camp gates. The building will be very much larger than the present one, which has been found to be quite inadequate.