An Outstanding Success

Te Ao Hou, June 1964, Page 32

An Outstanding Success Mr Scott's design is an outstanding success. The building is one of the most handsome ever to be erected in New Zealand and would be well able to stand comparison with the best contemporary work being done by architects overseas. Yet at the same time the Maori

Battalion Memorial Centre unmistakably belongs to our own country, for it owes much of its power and beauty to the fact that it draws its strength from both of the cultural traditions of New Zealand. For this reason, it may well prove to be something of a landmark in the history of the development of New Zealand architecture. The 14 carved panels on the facade, each of them eight feet high by 1 ft 6 in wide, were made by the well-known carver Mr Kelly Kereama of Feilding. Inside the building, tukutuku panels have been employed at the same time for their decorative effect and as acoustic tiles, and there is intricate scroll work (kowhaiwhai) on the exposed wooden beams. The ground floor has a large main hall with a stage, and toilet and office facilities. On the first floor is a dining room, a kitchen and storage rooms. The second floor has a small hall, sleeping rooms to accommodate visitors, and a caretaker's quarters. Each floor has an area of 3750 sq. ft.