CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 951, 19 October 1910, Page 8

CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.

PLANS SUBMITTED. PROPOSED BUILDING DESCRIBED. The sub-committee of the Wellington Hospital aad Charitable Aid Board (Messrs. J. G. W. Aitken, R. C. Kirk, and J. Trevor), appointed to review tho plans for the Children's Hospital, r&i j ported at yesterday's meeting that it I 'had gono into the question of the plans very fully wtth the architects, Dr. Hardwick Smith, aud the honorary medical staff. It had also had the advantage of a 1 conslutation with his Excellency the Governor and with Dr. Valintine (In-spector-General). The outcome of the various discussions and meetings was a.sketch plan, laid upon the table, and recommended for approval. It was resolved to. defer decision as to the question of the adoption of the committee's recommendation till next week, when' a special meeting of the board will be held upon, a day to be intimated later. •■'-. ', The plans submitted by the architects (Messrs. Atkins and Bacon) to the board provide for a building containing in its various wards no fewer than, seventy-two beds. It consists of a central block of two stories flanked on either hand by wards of one story.' Between the wards and backed by-..the central block is an extensive playing court, facing north.. At the northern, end 'of .each ward wing is a large "sun room," 12 feet- wide, and running along the outer walls of the.wards are verandahs 10 feet wide upon which French, windows open from the main, wards. The central block con r tains, downstairs,, isolation' wards,, ad.ministratiori room's, and a complete : operating, theatre with the necessary: ante-fooms. Each, of - the. large wards affords space for 22 beds and' sis more will be placed in the isolation i wards. Eaclrofthe large, wards is divided by a central cross'partition. The stair-case: giving access: to the 'first floor- of the' central block opens from a corridor;. Upstairs are two wards, each containing eleven beds, witih separate administration quarters, large balconies and the necessary" sanitary annexes. .The whole building is so that, whenever it may be necessary, the ; two principal wards cari be duplicated on the • first floor. It is proposed,that the building shall, be. erected in reinforced' concrete and brick. '■ What-'the ;roofirig material will be/has not;.yet been'determined. The feature which;appears most obvious,, to the layman viewing ; the plans, is the ample provision made for. lighting and ventilation.. The window's are every-, where- large and the-.'.'sun rooms , ,'., which' front the'main wards on tie north, side, are faced almost entirely with glass. Inthe wall pf-each .ward;; above,the roof of the/''sim Topm"^fanlights are. shown which will make it possible :to ventilate the wards, even at -this point, direct, from the open air; ■ The same provision of. fanlights is made in the ward'walls :above & verandah roofs. ' ■, /-, .