THE BUILDING YEAR.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1945, 31 December 1913, Page 11

THE BUILDING YEAR.

-9~ —- SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS.

I NEARLY A QUARTER OP A MILLION INVESTED. . ' Although the building trade lias beer steaaily active througnous the rear there. has not; been anything in" tn< nature of a boom, winch perhaps is uol to bo regretted, as the word "1100111" ii almost uhvays associated -vitli ajioi'hei word -with tho same initial letter, gignuyiug a state oi things iio one wishci to see. Those architects wlio aro evei oil the alert lor big work iniglit, evci 8° as far as to say that the building trade lias been dull during the pasi twelve months, but. wlicn .it is statec that buildings erected,, altered, and ox tended represented'a quarter of a mil* lion of money—and thai figure does uol include several largo buildings com- ' mowed prior to January 1 last—it wit ba recognised that thero ha? been no great falling off as compared with ot'liei works. It must bo remembered, too that for soma years the building tradi iu Wellington was abnormally aetivo h tho business part ; of tho city, and as c consequence- tlio placo was over-built ioi tho timo being, chiefly as legards offlct accommodation. Since then Wellingtoi has just about caught up to its.elf, aiK there is every prospect of a blight- future. . Of those.buildings that may bo classec as city business structures, tiic list is not a formidable one, yet it embrace! some structures that, whilst they niaj not bo architecturally uplifting, arc oi tho'type that reflects the substantiality ot' the city, and reflects a fine .confidence iu the future of, Wellington: During tho year 0113 very ancient landmark " has disappeared from Manners Street- in ■ the old one-story Bank of New . Zealand, which occupied tho corner site near the Opera House for about forty years. 111 its stead has been erected very handsome banking chambers, in brick and steel, three stories in height, and richly ornafe in that wide school which is generally referred to as modern renaissance—really tho adaption ot classic models to modern requirements. The building arrosts tho attention of everyone, and is ono that Mr. Will. Turnbull niay_ bo soundly congratulated upon. Not far away—a few doors east of the now bank, is the Wellington Opera House Compauy's new Grand Opera House, a big block of bricks, with Over 100 ft. frontage- to Manners Street, Which includes 0110 of tho most handsome theatres in Australasia. The interior furnishings and decorative scheme are extremely tasteful \ and beautiful, aud Wellington can new boast of a playhouse which is suited to every form of theatrical production, and is as comfortable, convenient, and safe to the players as it is to tho public. . The theatre was built by 'Messrs, Sanders Bros., from the design of tho Hon. Win. l'itt, of Mellwunie, and its construction was supervised by Mr. Lirldy, of Melbourne. A big building now almost completed is the Booth Memorial Training College, finished in. red brick, with a Mar-seilles-tiled roof, ami built for the Salvation Army as a memorial to the late illustrious head of tho Army, from designs supplied by Messrs. "Fc-ara aud Quick. The Demands of the Motor. At tho rear of the new Grand Opera House, and fronting YVaiielieW Street, is lUugiiiis and Sanderson's recentlyopoiieu motor warehouse, olliccs, and garage uie best of their class m.. iN'ew _Zealand. . This building was": erected tor the -trustee of tne Into Mr. T. Oi. Mncarthy ttho i J ublio .trustee), under ait arrangement with t-lie hrm mentioned. Mr. J. M, Dawsou was Use architect of the building, as he is of the neiv three-story brick block of shops and olliees now being erected for. Mrs. T. G. Macarthy in \vulis Street. The motor business calls aloud for special premises in which spaca is a factor. Messrs. Hatriek and Co., of Wellington and Wanganui, who are going into the motor business very thoroughly, are building a huge warelwuso and garage on tho site ot the old repair yards ot the Union S.S, Company, at tho corner of Lower Taranaki (Street and Wakehold Streets, whilst the Colonial' Motor Company have added a three-story extension to their commodious premises tn Oourteiiny i'lace. Messrs. Moult and tieorgetti intend to erect a garage and warehouse at tho corner of Cuba and Ghuznee Streets. Among the completed buildings are tho Britannia Theatre, in Manners Street, ami (in tho same contrast) considerable extensions to the Duko of Edinburgh ncw_ 'three-story brick shop and office buildings for the trustees in the estate of Messrs. E. and H. Barber; Levin and Co.'s capacious woolshcd at Kaiwarra; and a substantial addition to tho premises of Messrs. J. Smith and Co., extending along Dixon Street (from tho cornerjif Cuba Street), a huge brick shed at Kaiwarra for tho British Imperial Oil Company, and 11 new warehouse for Messrs. I<\ Cooper and Sons, seedsmen. arid nurserymen, situato in Dixon .Street. Amongst the buildings that ate well under way are the two' Automatic Bakery Companies (one in Taranaki Street niid the other (Deuhard's) in AdelaMo Road; sv now warehouse for Mr. C, bmith, in Cuba Street-; a brick school at IColburno; Messrs. Whitcombe and lombs's printing-house in Boulcoti Terrace; oAices for the Amalgamated Solely of Railway Servants, in 'Aitken Street; and a new pathological block for tho Wellington Hospital. Futiiro Activity. Looming big amongst the building lo be done during the coming j-ear is tho first section of' the w Parliamentary Buildings. Tho successful tenderers are Messrs. Hansford. Mills, and Hardy, of Christchurch, and UlO price'at which they bavo undertaken tho work is £151,639. !lhe time fixed for tho completion of the work is December ii', 1915. Tiro niaterial to be used in the walls ia brick, faced with Coromandel granite up to lii feet from the ground, and with greyivliito marble from Sandy Bay, Nelson, 'or the. rest of tho structure/ The portion included in the contract is 228 cot long and 217 feet broad. The might of the building will vary from >2 to C-i'foot.. •The balance of the lease of tho old Theatre Royal block has teeii secured jy tbe Crown from Messrs. J. Fuller md Sons, aisd 011 it is to be erected a lew police station and court, probably test year. Messrs. J. H. Betlumo imd Jo. aro about to ercct a substantial hrce-story brick building oii the sito st their lato; offices at tho corner of feitheiston and Panama-Streets, and dossrs. Sanders Brothers are erecting i now workshop for themselves in Tory street. A glance at tho City Council's bulking permit lists shows that the greater mrt of residential building undertaken hiring the year has been at Synth vilbiniie, Lyall Bay, Muraniii, Hataiai, and Kolbiirae. The strongest rend is southward, to vho soa. By (■veiling of tho sandhills,■■'and covering ho area so levelled with a deposit of lay and soil, the public may see in ictual operation the making of a city :iit of a wilderness.' The aspect of '.vail Bay us far as settlement is ron-i-rned is constantly changing. (:no of he latest signs of the times is the ■ Tcction on Onepu i'oad of a Salvation limy, hall—population and progress Col-on's-tho llai;. A tine block of valley and. in close proximity to t lie south lomiiWy of thn.Botanic.il Gardens has iceu thrown open for''settlement lately, ■ tud building,; activity has .been very i loticcable'in-,that, quarter duriitir tho j , ear.r: , ' ■;■' J]