Building Notes

Progress, Volume XII, Issue 12, 1 August 1917, Page 1053

Building Notes

AUCKLAND. The Auckland Hospital Board are considering the advisability of additional accommodation for the nursing staff. The medical superintendent stated that the present accommodation was not sufficient, as nurses were housed in various parts of the hospital. He considered that they should all be housed together in the nurse’s home, and sufficient accommodation provided for 50 more. An Auckland paper reports that the city markets buildings in Customs Street are progressing fairly well. The contractors, Messrs Fletcher Bros., Ltd., hope to have the smaller building, on the eastern side of the site, completed this month, when it will be occupied by Messrs A. B. Donald, Ltd. The larger of the two market buildings, which will cover an area of 459 feet in length and 129 feet in width, is being constructed in eight blocks. The concrete work in the first of theseblock A—has been completed up to the first floor,

and is expected to be ready for occupation by Messrs E. turner and (sons in about two mouths. The remaining seven blocks will take from six to seven months to complete, or longer if the weather conditions should be unfavourable. All the foundations for this larger building are in. The contractors are having no difficulty in regard to labour, and have from SO to 100 men employed on the various works. They have, however, been handicapped in regard to supplies of material. At the outset there was a delay in the delivery of the requisite steel, but that is now to hand. the chief difficulty lias been in obtaining shingle, supplies of which were slow m coming to hand, owing to the weather and want of boatmen, Messrs (Jamming and Goldsboro’, joint architects for the Choral Hall University, called for tenders for the brickwork up to the 20th August. CHKIfcjTCIiUEC.iI A building for the production of salt is contemplated at hew Brig Jit on estimated to cost from £IO,OOO to £lo,ooo. Mr. Leslie A. McArthur has applied to the City Council for the lease of 100 acres for the purpose, and the council has decided to grant a lease if satisfactory arrangements could be made. The applicant describes the works as a “Marine Electrical Solar bait Works.” The Beautifying Association has decided to be represented at a Town Planning Conference to be held in Wellington shortly. At a conference of the Beautifying Society with the Tramway’s Board the question of carrying out tue society’s scheme for beautifying the (Square again cropped up but Mr. Hurst (Seager, T'.R.i.B.A. said the time was not ripe for carrying out the Association’s scheme; when the war was over and a peace memorial was proposed, the beautifying of the (Square would be a very good object upon which to spend money. All that the Association wanted to see was that nothing was done to interfere with the carrying out, in the future, of the extremely beautiful scheme adopted by the Association. He contended that from the Board s point of view the scheme would be a money-saving one, as it would reduce the present delays occasioned by people wishing to board trams having to wait till passengers 'alighted. Plans are in course of preparation for the erection of a new- car shed, to take the place of the present very much dilapidated structure at the back of the new Government buildings in Cathedral square. The condition of the old building was such that its replacement by a new building became absolutely imperative, otherwise the work would have been held over until prices of materials had become normal once more.

Additional accommodation has been provided to the hospital by the addition of new wards known as the Chalmers' wards. The building is named after Miss Jean Chalmers, of Ashburton, who gave the Hospital Board the sum of £B,OOO towards the cost of a building for chronic or incurable cases as a memorial to Messrs John and Peter Chalmers, of Ashburton, natives of Perth, Scotland. This sum, together with the Government subsidy of 245. in the £, has defrayed the entire cost of the building. Miss Chalmers herself laid the foundation stone on February 2ord, 1910. The Chalmers building is of the most modern type. Characterized by an extreme simplicity in design, it is obviously built to obtain the maximum amount of light and air, and to ensure the comfort and convenience of both patients and nurses. It is three storeyed, and contains three main wards besides a number of smaller rooms. Each of the main wards is 73 feet long by 24 feet wide, and allows ample space for IS beds. In addition there are two smaller wards on each floor, one to hold one bed and the other two beds. All the wards are lofty and well lighted rooms, with big windows and white plastered walls. The walls are everywhere plastered except in the sanitary block, where they are tiled to a height of six feet from the ground. The floors are of polished wood, and all the ward fittings are of oiled rimu. Electricity is employed in lighting throughout the building. A comfortable sitting-room is provided on each floor, as well as duty rooms, sister rooms, and pantries. Store-rooms of a useful size and design arc also provided on the first and second floors.

Commodious verandahs and balconies are a feature of the Chalmers building. These run completely round the west and north and most of the east sides of the wards. They

lire 10 feet wide and have movable glass ■windows. In addition there is a flat roof, whence a beautiful view over Hagley Park and the Gardens can be obtained. An electric lift will enable patients to be taken up and downstairs without the necessity for removing them from their beds, the comfortable size of the lift permitting of the beds being wheeled into and out of it. A covered way connects the new wards with the main Hospital buildings. A sub-way running underneath this carries the steam pipes, etc., to the new wards. The Chalmers building was designed by Messrs Collins and Harman, and the contract was executed by Messrs W. Greig and Sons. Mr. H. Hall, architect, Timaru, called for tenders for the erection of a brick store for the Canterbury Farmers’ Association. Plans and specifications to bo seen at architect’s offices. DUNEDIN Messrs Mason and Wales, architects, called for tenders for additions to Bank of New Zealand at Balclutha, and also for additions to Columbia College, Dunedin. WELLINGTON Mr. P. C. Watt is the builder of business premises in Courtenay Place for The Dominion Motor Vehicles Ltd. The building is three storeys high and covers tire whole site (which is approximately 75 ft. by 50 ft.), situated next to the Albion hotel. The ground floors will be used for show room and offices, and plate glass windows will extend the full length of the frontage. The upper floors will be used for warehouse purposes and they will be served by an electric lift for motor cars capable of raising 21 tons at 60 ft. per minute. The interior of the building adjoining the site which is now used by the company as offices will be entirely altered and renovated. Mr. J. M. Dawson is the architect. The Salvation Army has accepted the tender of Mr. M. Browman, in the sum of £8,997, for the erection of the Returned Soldiers’ and the Workmen’s Hostel at the corner of Vivian and Tory Streets. The main entrance to the hostel will be on the Vivian Street frontage. At the back of the entrance hall will be the office, and adjoining the hall will be the dining-room, which will have an additional entrance on the street corner. Besides the pantry, kitchen, larder, etc..

there will be on the ground floor the smoking-room and accommodation for forty boarders, with the necessary baths and lavatories. On the two upper floors accommodation will be provided for one hundred and two boarders. One wing on the first floor has been specially designed to provide accommodation for returned soldiers. The contract will be completed about Christmas time. Mr. Gray Young is the architect for this building, and several others reported in last month issue. Another picture theatre was completed this month—the Paramount in Courtenay Place. Quite a number of buildings have been erected recently in this locality which is rapidly becoming a good business centre. The Paramount has been equipped with all the latest appliances and machinery for the production of pictures, and was opened on 4th August. No money has been spared to make the theatre thoroughly comfortable and up-to-date. There is a fine, bold entrance, which at night will be studded with electric lights, and alongside, an arcade lounge-bar, at which drinks and delicacies will be obtainable. A special screen, calculated to do away with all semblance of flicker has been imported, and as a result of the excellent arrangement of the auditorium, a clear view will be obtainable from any of the tip-up, spring seats that are installed. The dress circle leads off the main entrance, and can be reached by a very few steps, a feature that should be highly' appreciated. There is seating accommodation for a total of 1,200, and ample exits for use in the case of emergency or otherwise. Special attention has been paid to ventilation, and it is claimed that the theatre will be cool even in the hottest of summer nights, and warm in winter. It was designed by and erected under the supervision of Mr. James Bennie, F.N.Z.I.A. The work was carried out by day labour. The foreman being Mr. W. R. Johns. Some scare was caused in building circles by a rumour being circulated that the Government intended to prohibit building operations. The matter was raised in Parliament, and Mr. Massey said he supposed the impression had arisen from the fact that building operations had been practically stopped at Home, but he did not think this would be necessary here. He believed that a proposal of this kind was to come before the Government, but he would go so far as to say that he did not think the Government would agree to it. Recent tenders called for include the erection of the superstructure of the new building for the Dominion Farmers’ Institute, plans and full particulars of which can be seen at the offices of Messrs Collins and Harman, Gloucester Street, Christchurch. Messrs Crichton and McKay also called for tenders for a store for Messrs Dalgety and Co. of Nelson.