AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL

Progress, Volume XVIII, Issue 1, 1 September 1922, Page 7

AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL

PRIZE-WINNERS FOR £200,000 BUILDING.

NEW ZEALANDERS HEAD THE LIST. In the open competition for designs for the Auckland War Memorial a building on which £200,000 will be spent, New Zealand architects brought high credit to their profession in the Dominion by heading the list. The result of the competition was as follows: —

First prize, £650 —Messrs. Grierson and Aimer and M. K. Drafhn, of Auckland. Second prize, £3O0 —Messrs. R. W. Maclaurin and C. H. Mitchell (Wellington).

Third prize, £lO0 —Messrs. E. G. Le Petit (Takapuna) and G. E. Downer (Auckland).

Based on classical lines of rare architectural beauty, yet chaste withal, the building as depicted by the authors of the winning design (states the Auckland Star), is handsome to a superlative degree, and sufficiently imposing and dignified to make it impossible for even the casual observer to fail in appreciation of the purpose which it will represent—the perpetuation of the memory of those men and women from the Auckland district who died in the late war.

The main entrance is accentuated in effectiveness by a row of tall Doric columns, which are surmounted by a parapet of some depth, over the top of the frieze. On an attic panel is inscribed in appropriate lettering:—MCMXlV - MCMXVIII. “The whole earth is the sepulchre of famous men. They are commemorated not only by columns and inscriptions in their own country, but in foreign lands also, and by memorials graven not on stone but on the hearts of men.”—Pericles.

A sword is depicted near the middle of the inscription, and on the left-hand side there is represented St. George and the Dragon; a figure symbolical of Peace is shown at the other end.

Approached by a flight of exceptionally wide steps, the main entrance is an outstanding feature of the conception. A broad terrace stands at the head of the steps, fronting the north elevation. Here, it is proposed, a cenotaph shall be erected on a scale likely to harmonise with the general effect of the building. The plans provide for future extensions, the side walls being designed in a suitable manner, although their characteristics are in keeping with the handsome front elevation. The vestibules will be easy of access, and a central lecture chamber, replete with a platform, will accommodate 600. Elevators and public accommodation are provided near the entrance, as also are the curator’s room, board room and storerooms. To the right facilities are provided for a museum and future development. An easy stairway leads up to the first floor, and here are situated the Maori court

and the New Zealand natural history hall. Specially planned, these spacious rooms will give ample facilities for a fine view of the very valuable collection which will be exhibited therein. The geology, palaeontology and zoology halls are depicted on this flood, the measurement of all the halls being 60 feet by 130 feet. THE WALL MEMORIAL HALLS. Above, on the next floor, the central memorial hall will be situated. Records of the late war—"maps of the far-flung battle line" as the plan states — will be kept here, and a great collection of memorable objects they will be. The Hall of Memory, to be a more or less sacred place, is shown on the left, being so Situated in order to prevent it being used as a corridor to other sections. In the Hall of Memory the most prominent feature is a sarcophagus, in a strong light, raised on steps in a central space arranged fox the reception of wreaths and other memorial emblems. There is an ambulatory round this space in subdued light from stained glass windows. A Roll of Honour is provided for on the side and end walls. There is space for tables and books containing personal records at the sides. On anniversary occasions, when a continuous procession is passing round the central shrine, iron gates can be opened on the south wall of this hall, thus providing, if desired, an additional or emergency exit. A war trophies' hall, and the foreign ethnology hall are on the right, whilst the institute library is on the left. Altogether, as everyone agreed, and as one of the adjudicators remarked to a.* Star representative, the building as planned is indeed a masterly conception.

THE OTHER WINNING DESIGNS.

The design placed second won its place on planing. It it classical in feeling. The entrances are marked by a row of columns surmounted by a pediment. • A dome above the main entrance hall

and central hall is a conspicuous feature of the design. The interior arrangements are very similar to those in the design which won the premier pia.ce

The design which was awarded third prize has a beautiful facade in Italian renaissance style. It is somewhat reminiscent of the Boston Public Library, one of America's finest architectural achievements. But the treatment, although pleasing, is not altogether expressive of the feeling desired in a war memorial. The exhibit is distinguished by beautiful drawing and shows a masterly conception of derail. The interior planning is less satisfactory than that set out in the designs placed first and second, but nevertheless possesses decided merit.

SOME BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES.

All the winning competitors saw service in the Great War, a fact which makes their success all the more appropriate and gratifying.

Mr. Grierson saw service in France in 1918 with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, returning to the Dominion after the armistice. A brother, Private W. A. Grierson, who enlisted and served in the Main Body, was killed on Gallipoli. Another brother also served.

Mr. Aimer left for overseas with the North Auckland Battalion and went to France, receiving a wound at Passchendaele on October 16th, 1917, and returning home with the rank of corporal, unfit for further active service. His brother, Lieutenant G. V. Aimer, of the Flying Corps, was killed in England during the course of aerial operations. He also had another brother who saw active service.

Mr. Draffin was on the Gallipoli Peninsular with the Second Reinforcements in the early days of the war. It was there that his promotion commenced, and he remained on the Peninsula till the evacuation, being one of the four to “go through the piece” from start to finish. In France, with the Engineers’ Battalion, Mr. Draffin served for some time as an n.c.0., and'was twice mentioned in despatches. As a result he won his appointment to commissioned rank on the field, and was later awarded the Military Cross. Singularly, he was wounded on the same day as Mr. Aimer, and they were both admitted to the same hospital in England on the same day. Leiutenant Draffin returned to France and was again wounded just before the armistice in the last big drive against the German lines, made by the Allied forces in 1918. This wound however, did not prove serious, and on being discharged Mr. Draffin was comparatively fit.

Architecture was studied together by Messrs. Grierson, Aimer and Draffin in Auckland before the war, and Messrs. Grierson and Draffin, together with Mr. G. Downer, one of the two competitors placed third, studied at the same time after the war at the British Architectural Association, and passed their examinations for the R.1.8.A.

It is also of interest to note that each of the other placed competitors in the competition saw active service. V.

HOW THE COMPETITION WAS DECIDED. The jury of award comprised Messrs. C. R. Ford, P.N.Z.1.A., F.S. Architect, chairman; C. W. Wood, A.R.1.8.A., F.N.Z.1.A., T. F. Chee.seman, O. Nicholson and Dr. T. W. Leys. Their report, presented to the Auckland Citizens' Committee stated that seventy-four designs were submitted. These were displayed for the purposes of judging in Harbour Board shed No. 16, where they had been unpacked and put in place by the assistant curator of the museum.

None of the members of the Jury of award were acquainted with the place of origin of the designs, and every precaution was taken in accordance with the conditions to preserve the anonymity of the authors. The fullest possible consideration had been given to every design. At the outset it was realised that a building containing the accommodation demanded by the conditions could not possibly be erected for the amount stated in the conditions. Therefore, designs could not be rejected upon the ground that the cost of erecting the building shown therein would exceed the stated sum.

The design awarded first place would give Auckland a most dignified memorial building, of distinctive character, fully worthy of the deeds and events the memory of which it was intended to perpetuate, and would also fulfil all museum requirements. Certain necessary modifications could be effected without loss to the monumental feeling of the structure.

The selection of the design to take second place was a matter of great difficulty. The one finally selected had a lack of the architectural distinction and memorial feeling of other designs submitted in the competition, but it was obviously above others in the simplicity and directness with which the author met all the conditions as regards planning.

The design placed third was one of considerable architectural merit, although it did not express the memorial qualities of the first award, and there were defects in its planning.

Among such excellent work a definite selection was a matter of exceedingly great difficulty, and the award was confined for that reason to the three prize winners. Although in judging importance had not been attached to draughtsmanship, the jury expressed its admiration of the exquisite draughtsmanship of design numbers 7, 67 and 69.

The recommendations of the jury were unani-. mously confirmed, on the motion of Mr. J. H. Gunson (Mayor of Auckland), it being also decided that the first prize winners be appointed the architects to carry out the work.

The committee, on the motion of Mr, Gunson, recorded its Ipgh sense of appreciation of the work of the jury, particularly of the services of Mr. Ford, who had for 12 months acted as honorary professional adviser, and to Mr. Wood, whose expert assistance had also been most valuable. In proposing this motion, Mr. Gunson said that the de-

cision was reached after nine day's strenuous work, and was based entirely on merit, the identity of the authors of designs being absolutely unknown. In these circumstances it was not inappropriate to say they were proud of the fact that Auckland Architects had won the competition against world entries, and by that achievement they had done a very great honour to the profession in New Zealand. Messrs. Ford and Wood expressed to the chairman their thanks for the courtesies extended to them during the progress of the work of the jury of award. The jury had undertaken a very difficult task, but all the conditions had been made as pleasant as possible. It had been a real pleasure. As a non-professional member of the jury, Dr. T. W. Leys said he would express the surprise and delight that had been experienced on examining the entries. In view of the all-round excellence of the competitive designs, it would have been invidious to select for special reference any but the first three. The unsuccessful should not experience any chagrin at failure, because so many designs had been submitted by men of high attainments that all the unsuccessful ones were in good company. As a member of the citizens' Committee, Dr. Leys then proposed a motion placing on record warm appreciation of the splendid responses made by , members of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, >and also by architects resident in other portions of »the British Empire, and this was carried unanimously. In our next issue we propose to publish special reproductions of the perspectives of the winning designs. «♦» ■ Bank of England Rebuilding Project. PRESERVING THE ORIGINAL FRONT ELEVATION. ) The famous old Bank of England building in Threadneedle Street, London, is to be replaced by a very fine pile, a sketch of which we reproduce on the opposite page. The plan provides for an entire reconstruction of the existing interior, but in order to preserve the style and character of the famous old building it is intended to keep the present outside walls with as many of the old rooms behind them as possible, to continue a series of top-lighted offices round the .site, and inside the enceinte thus formed, to raise the building to a height of four or five floors. In the course of the consideration of these preliminaries the Bank consulted on the general question the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Mr. Paul Waterhouse, who was unhesitating in his reply that the only possible way of harmonising the artistic claims of the Bank with its present duties lay in the direction of building a central structure of the necessary height, surrounded by a girdle of lower buildings, composed, in fact,

of the existing external wallsunaltered and without any avoidable superstructure.

The Bank furthermore have been in consultation with Mr. Herbert Baker, F.R.1.8.A., and Mr. F. W. Troup, F.R.1.8.A. New Zealand architects will, we are sure, be greatly interested in the following notes on the reconstruction written by Mr. Baker:—

Long and sympathetic study has been given to the determination of the extent to which the more valuable portions of the old building of the Bank of England could be retained consistently with the creation of a new structure worthy of the Bank, and sufficient for its needs. The facts of the site in relation to its light and the surrounding streets and buildings together with the practical and sentimental values of silence, security, and seclusion which the present blank external wall affords, all seem to point favourably to the policy which it is proposed to adopt and to a solution of the problem on the lines of Sir John Soane’s own design of top-lighted halls screened from the street by his great blank wall.

In an architectural appreciation of this building, Sir John Soane’s life work and masterpiece, it may be recognised by those who have given most study to it that his genius is more specially distinguished by the powers of invention which he shows in the varied and ingenious treatment of domical-vaulted and top-lighted spaces. His banking halls seem to give and exceptional sense of dignity and fitness of expression to a bank, and honour can therefore be best paid to his memory not only by the preservation of these halls, but by the acceptance after the test of a century of his invention as the motive idea for the natural aftergrowth of his building. The proposal under consideration by the directors includes the retention in its entirety of the outside • blank wall, with such of Soane’s rooms as lie behind it, and the construction of a sequence of similar rooms behind the old wall right round the perimeter of the site. ' t

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A feature of characteristic beauty in the Bank is the open garden court on the site of the old churchyard with its venerable Tree and Taylor’s old courtroom looking out upon it. This small court, howveer, if the walls round it are raised, would lose its light, its tree, and its charm. It is, therefore, proposed to build a larger open court in the centre of the site, where it will best fit the organism of the building, and to reconstruct on the north side of it, with the same southern aspect as of old, Taylor’s old court room with its attendant committee room, and as many of the attractive little ante-rooms as may be possible.

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HIGH INNER BUILDING.

It will be between . this inner court and the outside sequence of Soane’s banking halls that it is proposed to rear the new inner building to the fullest height which may be held to be legitimate and advisable for the architectural harmony of the building as a whole, and for the light and health of the surrounding nar-

now streets and buildings. It has been considered that such a plan, while retaining what is of the greatest value in the old building, will give at least as much accommodation on the ground floor as would be possible in any scheme of reconstruction, and on the upper and basement floors sufficient well lit and ventilated office space for the future needs of the Bank.

Most sympathetic consideration has been given to the retention of the Rotunda, but is has been considered that the retention of its great masses would involve too serious a sacrifice of space and efficiency. But there are throughout the building many ingeniously vaulted rooms and corridors, and it is hoped that after more prolonged study of these, and of the requirements of the new building, it may be found possible to set in the new building some more gems of the art of Soane, or of Taylor, or even of Sampson.

It must be understood that the drawings now published in no way represent any final solution, and have been prepared only as illustrations of the very complex problems involved in the rebuilding scheme. The perspective illustrates the general appearance of such a building, and presents only a possible solution of the problem of connecting the old low and new high building in some way that will give visible architectural expression to the unity of the building and the sense of the continuity of the life of the Bank.