GOVERNMENT LIFE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 145, 21 June 1934, Page 12

GOVERNMENT LIFE

BUILDING TO PROCEED

FRESH TENDERS TO BE CALLED

COMPLETE SCHEME ,

Some months aeo tenders were called for the erection of one section of the new Government Life Building on the site from which the old brick building was removed about two years ago. No tender was accepted, however, as the prices put in were considered too high to give an adequate return over capi_tal cost to warrant the expenditure. "Since that time the whole question has been fully gone into between the Government Life Department Commissioner and his officers, the Government Architect, and the Minister, and a decision has now been made to proceed with the whole building. Though naturally the complete building will cost much more than the section for which tenders were called, the price will be well belowwhat would be the cost were the work done in two sections, and it is this consideration which has dictated the new

decision,

The manner in which this economy in the long run will be effected is best appreciated from an impression of the complete building as planned. The building will be of eight storeys, with a frontage of 170 feet to Customhouse Quay and approximately v 'll9/feet to each of Panama and. Brandon Streets. The main block will be built to maximum bylaw height, 102, feet, but' a stepback central block will go up to, say, 130 or 140 feet, and above that again will be a lighthouse tower, tho i symbol of the Department. The tower will-be a prominent landmark, day and night, for the lantern will be lit by a powerful globe at night and the wings projecting round the lantern will be of plate glass, to catch the sun and suggest a light by day also. The building will have a large light well its full height. The' first three storeys will be faced with grey New Zealand granite and the storeys above with a stone similar to that being used at the Art Gallery and Museum, a vitrie light fawn tuff. '.'-■■■■• STEEL FRAME CONSTRUCTION. The. construction will be on thoroughly up-to-date lines, steel frame construction designed to give an ample margin against earthquake stresses. It has been suggested that,' following the receipt' of the first tenders, instructions were given for the redesigning of the building in reinforced concrete construction. This is not so: the same typo of construction is being followed. Below the street level will be a large basement, mainly under tho front section of the block, from'which the whole building will be served^ with heating and other services. BIG INCREASE IN FLOORAGE. Had merely the front section been proceeded with this basement, the cost of which (on account of the common Wellington difficulty of seepage of water, from the harbour) will be fairly heavy, would necessarily have reflected upon the cost of the limited floor space available for letting, whereas the loading per unit of letting space spread over the complete building will'be, roughly, halved. There is another bigT economy (regarded as loading per unit of letting space) in that about three-fourths of the cost of the three walls which will carry'expensive stone facing would be involved in the front section, whereas the extension of the Brandon and Panama Street faced walls will add a floor space in proportion far greater than the additional cost. Tho temporary rear wall and other temporary work will not be required, and there will also be some smaller savings in the avoidance of the incorporation of • heavier members in certain portions of the building which would have been necessary to give the same earthquake resistance in the narrower block. The., decision to proceed with the whole block, therefore, is based on the consideration that for a given additional percentage of construction cost a far greater percentage of lettable floor space will be available. OTHER POINTS. Other points of interest about the plans are that they provide for a roof of a type new to New Zealand, for in place of the standard water-proofing systems the roof will carry a solid protective coat of concrete slabs, jointed to allow for expansion and contraction. Bronze casements and window fittings will be built in throughout, and the street frontages will be relieved by bronze panels. There will be three entrances, one to each street, and four lifts, two in either.section. The heating system, for which the circulating pipes will be built into the walls or floors, will be oil-fired,'but the equipment will be capable of' being turned over to burn slack coal in a matter of a comparatively few hours.

With the exception of the steel for the frame construction and metal, fittings, certain finishing materials, etc., practically everything that will go into the building will be of New Zealand origin and manufacture. The steel column and beam design is such, moreover, as to require rather more New Zealand'labour than has been required in the usual-run of fabrication on past big jobs. DETAIL PLANS IN HAND. The fresh tenders cannot be; called for some months yet, the Government Architect, Mr. J. T. Mair, told a "Post" reporter today, for though the general design of the complete building was drawn out some considerable time ago, th© details for the front section only were worked out for the calling of the first tenders. The enormous amount ijivolved in their preparation was plain enough, as the blue prints were turned' out—3s sheets of steel work, eight sheets for heating, four sheets of electrical lay-out, and 22 sheets of architectural detail,, down to the very system of fixing in window glass. .

It is the present intention, said Mr. Mair, to call for tenders in two sections, for the steel-frame work and for other construction separately.