A £70,000 COLLEGE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 211, 31 May 1919, Page 8

A £70,000 COLLEGE

FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION A CINDERELLA TO BE REWARDED For a decade at least the Wellington Technical College has been the Cinderella of Wellington's schools. Other schools havo been helped along in divers ways, but somehow or other the Wellington Technical College has had to scratch along as best it could, its natural growth stilled and stunted bv a luck of nucoiumodnliou which has '|>eon referred to as "shocking." Ymus ago Hie Technical School premises—which comprised a building erected in Wakefield Street from funds provided by the Wellington Industrial Association," tho upstairs purtion of the Education Board building in Mercer Street, and an old Hiii cookery ehed—became too small to house students in comfort, and the City Council allowed new engineering workshop-*, etc., Jo be erected on that block of hind adjoining thii electric light power-house in .Mercer Street, where admirable, work bus been done for some twelve years past. There lias been a sustained pinch for room for .six or seven years past, the result being sen tiered classes in widely-separated buildings, as often as not most unsuitable to the important work to bo done. JtcpresiMilalions without number have been made to successive Governments, the repre.-cnla-tivos of which have always been enthusiastically sympathetic—and no more. Slill the crying need for a real Technical College in Wellington was kept_ before the public, and last year the Minister of Justice (the Hon. T. Al. Wilford) conceded that Iho Mount Cook site was au excellent and central one for such a college, and with the warm sympathy of the Minister of Education (the Jlon*. J. A. Haijun), the preliminary steps were taken to ensure the erection of a new college, the first portion of which will bo erected with the aid of a. Governintuit grant (■£15,0(10), a subsidy from the City Council W15,000), and don'ai'ons from the public. The object is a deserving one, indeed r.n essential one, at a time iike the privont. and any financial, assistance 'prolfond would he .in , the best interest of tho entire community.

At-its monthly meeting last week, the Technical Education-Board decided'(by six votes to four) to cull for competitive designs for (lie erection of the building on lines laid down by Mr: W.- S. La Trohe, Government Director of Technical Schools (and late Director of the Wellington Technical f!olici»e). Op till the present Mr. La Trobe's ideas have not been published. They have had to be drawn in conformity with tho site, some four acres between the rear of the Alexandra Barracks and a line drawn from the eastern end of Hankev Street to _ Taenia ii Street, a block of land on which .prisoners have ! been employed brickmaking for a. long term of years. The building proposed is a. rectangular one. running north and south, MOft. by 220 ft., the front of the structure facing Taranaki Street South, and owing to if* elevation overlooking tho greater part of Wellington city. ■ On the western side of tho area the land slopes 'away down fowiirds those sections which front Tasnian Street, and to get the dopth he required Mr. La Trobe provided for concrete retaining walls on that side. Since last year, however, the discovery has been made that thero is a 10ft. strip on the l'aranaki Street side of the block which will be made available for the college, so that by shifting the locafion of the proposed building, say, 20ft. to the west, the whole of the building will rest on tho solid, and the cxncn.-io of retaining walls will bn avoided. The main entrance to flic college grounds will be from the eastern, end of Hankcy Street. The entrance drive will run due- north along tin; greatest frontage of the building, in the centre of which, will be tho main entrance. The proposed building will be only two ntoric.» in height (of brick or concrete), and as light is the first essential in such a college tho elevation will consist more of glass than any other material, so that on paper the college resembles a utilitarian Crystal J'nlnc».. The..completed building will be undivided. The plan-provides for a structure in three parts—(li Hio 'northern, "quad." with its frame of classrooms; (2)-Hie ndniiiiiVl'rativo block; n'lid (•')) the southern "mind." Tho quadrangles are n feature of the building. Ther nre largo open spaces each. J3sfl. by feflrt.,. surrounded by classrooms on Iwo floors.. The building round tho "quads'', being only ono room in width, fhe maximum oi light and sunshine in. provided for. Mr. Till Trobo's plans provide that tho northen "quad" shall be for the girls, and the southern ono for the boys. In between the two is the administrative block with commodious well-lighted rooms for the director, the clerks, typists, etc.. The windows of the director's room commands ii full view of both ."quads," ns well as (in outlook on to (he near class rooms. For the present it is proposed to proceed oiilv with the erection of. the northern half of the building ,md the. administrative block.

.The outlay-of the rooms has been-made by Mr. La Trobc, with every consideration for the needs of the different classes. Taking- those consecutively from the main entrance and proceed northward.--, the rooms are placed ws follow:—Ground floor—AVestern side: Mathematics, nici.-h.a-nical laboratory, lecture rpom, chemical large laboratory (on corner). Northern end: Design room l'or men and lady students, pottery, metal work, jewellery, and enamelling (on corner). Eastern side: .Demonstration roam, instructors' cloak rooms, advanced cookery, elementary cookery, laundry, class room. Hound the southern "quad" on (he ground floor are the 'class rooms and workshops of llm electric and general engineering, woodwork, and phimMn;,' students.

Commencing ußiiin from the main entrance (western front) tho looms on Iho first floor run in the following sequence:— 'Mechanical drawing, dark room, mechanical drawing, lecture room, and still an'--ther ckss room for the last-mentioned subject. On the corner a large room is provided for student? of architecture, building, and construction. Facing the north are class rooms for woed-cnrving, art instructor's room, embroidery, etching and lithography, modelling, life drawini;, and figure composition, On the eastern sido nre the rooms for iicedlewor);, drawing, and in the centre da's rooms for bookkeeping and commercial courses. Tt is pronosed that lnbr on mi assembly hall and gymnasium will he erected on the grounds, but apart from the main buildine.

In addition to the entrance from Hankey Street, entrances will probably bomade from Buckle Stre-'t, Tniinii and Kfliifurly Terraces (both uH' Tiistmm Street). Mr. G. Kro't (ehiiiriuiiii) is keen on going nliead with the. work, and U arranging that. Hip condition? of Ihe competition will be drafted as coon as possible. He anticipate!) Hint the now college will be built for under .CTd.^lO.