MOUNT COOK SITE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1932, Page 8

MOUNT COOK SITE

UNATTRACTIVE AREA

COULD BE LAID OUT NOW

IS SCHEME DELAYED?

Matters appear to be in abeyance for the time being in regard to the now Dominion Museum and National Art Gallery for the Mount Cook site. It seems as though, the time when a contract would be let for the main buildings is some distance ahead —so far ahead that unless things improve, not. only in New Zealand, but all over the ■world, the question of finance will present difficulties, the overcoming of which cannot bo seen at the present juncture, without assistance from the Government, which, as everyone knows, has its hands full with questions of immediate importance. The fact that nobody is anxious to make a definite statement is some ground for the persistent rumours that the Government is not prepared, for obvious reasons, to add to its present financial perplexities, nor yet is the Board of Trustees in full possession of its half-share of tho money required for the scheme. The shortage is not so considerable that it. could not be bridged in better times with little difficulty, and this is said with the fact in view that some of the amounts promised are not paid in actual cash at the time, and that some of those then able to fulfil their promises find it impossible to do so now. It is understood that the generous people who are now in this unfortunate state are not so numerous as to affect the position as much as the difficulty of encouraging the public to provide the remainder of tfie necessary subscriptions to-day, and to induce the Government to fulfil, or partly fulfil, an obligation entered into on the understanding that £100,000 would be raised by public subscription, the whole of which has not yet been raised. Though the matter may have been discussed both' by the Board of Trustees and Cabinet, no announcement of a definite character has been made by either. A TIMELY SUGGESTION. "If nothing is to be done for a while in regard to the actual erection of the bnildiags," said a citizen, who is most anxious to see the buildings completed, as a national matter, "something might at least be done to mitigate the barren and neglected aspect of the site now that the old buildings have been demolished. To the most casual visitor the site of the Art. Gallery and Museum shows not only the possibilities, but the need, for an appropriate lay-out of the ground.- The debris of a prison and barracks cannot be expected to be sightly. At one of the meetings of the Board of Trustees it was stated that a special sub-committee of the board had been set up-for the purpose of looking after the grounds. The Director of the Parks and Reserves of the City Council (Mr. J. G. MaeKcnzie) was added to the committee, and this should assure treatment on modern comprehensive lines.. The existing doubt as to when a contract is to be let is no doubt perplexing the committee, and the position may lead to the consideration of proceeding with the work in instalments building either the museum or the art gallery portion alone at first. This may not be practicable, indeed it is doubtful if the discussions have reached this stage, but these considerations will no doubt have a bearing on the iwork of the- Grounds Committee. TREATMENT OF SITE. With the Campanile now nearing completion, and with no prospects of the main buildings being proceeded with in the near future, the question of the treatment of the site becomes more important. Apart from the area of fiat Jand forming the. site for the buildings, there is ample scope for extensive : ornamentation. When the police residence now occupying one of the front corners of the grounds is removed, as it is due to be, that site will provide the landscape gardener with ample scope. There is no reason why the site as a whole should not form one of the city's main attractions. Despite its association with one of Wellington's most backward areas, Te Aro Flat a pile of aristocratic buildings will stand supreme on this site, which must form the keystone of any town planning scheme. It is to be hoped that thl City Council will apply a proclamation over the whole of the Te Aro Flat area in the_ meantime, which will give the city time to consider the bigger idea that must come from the ultimate appearance of the noble buildings, whose influence on the whole of their surroundings cannot be overlooked. Just at present the layout of the grounds .wouia remove the "half-baked" look of the site, which will bo more apparent, unless something is done, when the scaffolding is. off the Campanile ana there is at least one finished building to emphasise the present ugly barrenness of the surroundings."