NEW BUILDING

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 153, 2 December 1938, Page 12

NEW BUILDING

GOVERNMENT LIFE

SPACIOUS INTERIOR

FINE LIFT SYSTEM

Outwardly, ever since the scaffolding was removed some weeks ago, the "new Government Life Insurance Building in Customhouse Quay has taken rank in public estimation as one of the most massive and solidly constructed buildings that have been erected in Wellington. An inspection of the interior of the building does something more to confirm the impression of size and solidity and to impress upon one the great amount of planning, time, labour, and skill necessary in modern large-scale construction work. The building occupies the site on which stood the former brick-built Government Life office, and before that'again the Wellington Provincial Government Building. A link with the old Provincial Building is preserved in the modern structure, a section of the foundation-stone having been mounted, suitably inscribed, and placed in the very fine boardroom. On one side of this room there are fine big stained-glass windows, which came from the previous Government Life Building. WELL TENANTED. The construction has been so planned as to give the rooms in the centre of the building the maximum amount of light, and this has been achieved wonderfully well. The furnishings have not yet been completed, but these are being carried out with taste and in a manner befitting the spaciousness and simple dignity of the offices. Although the finishing touches have yet to be applied in some places, the interior work practically has been completed from the third floor up, and already the building is well inhabited, fot, apart from the head office of the Government Life Department, accommodation has been provided for other Government Departments, as well as some private tenants. A shipping company occupies the Brandon Street side of the ground floor, there is a firm of solicitors on the Panama Street side, and in this part of the building temporary offices are also being occupied at the present time by the staff of the district office of the Government Life Department until its permanent quarters to the right of the main entrance hall are completed. The Government Life head office staff are on the third floor. On the fourth floor are the Government Life accounts branch, the Government Actuaries' Department, the inspectors' division of the Public Service Commisisoners' Office, and a portion of the Industries and Commerce Department. The fifth floor is occupied by the Industries and Commerce, Tourist and Publicity Departments. The motor registration branch of the Post and Telegraph Department, a big Department having many records, is expected to move in tomorrow to new offices which have been provided for them on the sixth floor, on which there are also private tenants. The Internal Marketing Department is to occupy the seventh floor. Other Departments, which also have not yet moved in but for which provision has been made, are the Pharmacy Department (fourth floor), Public Service Superannuation Department (third floor), Valuation Department and National Provident Fund (second floor), Commercial Broadcasting Department, district office of the Stamps Department, and the office of the High Commissioner for Great Britain (first floor), and the National Provident Fund district office (ground floor). The floors and ceilings of the different offices have been specially constructed to eliminate disturbance from noise as much as possible, and in the main staff rooms provision is made for the regulating of the temperature by a vacuum-steam appliance. An electric call system which on pressing buttons will illumine coloured bulbs on the deskg of the executive officers, is to be installed. There are miles and miles of electric wiring in the building, all stowed out of sight, and there are easily-removable panels in various parts to enable any repairs that may be necessary to be carried out with expedition and without defacing the walls and ceilings. As an indication of the quantity of wiring used in the building, on the third floor alone there are 16 miles of it. THE LIFT SYSTEM. Not the least interesting feature of the interior is the lift system, in which are incorporated some improvements new to Wellington. There are four passenger lifts, two serving the main entrance in Customhouse Quay, and one each on the Brandon Street and Panama Street frontages, and in addition there is a goods lift. They are operated on a 400-volts A.C. supply, but are controlled on a low voltage principle, the equipment being similar to the standard type used in Post and Telegraph telephone exchanges. The passenger lifts serving the main entrance are so arranged that they will answer all calls registered by intending passengers in the most expeditious and economical manner. If, for instance, there are four up calls and three down calls, one lift will take the up calls and the other will automatically take the down calls. They are 300ft-per-minute lifts, and will carry approximately 14 persons each. They level automatically at the floors. An alarm system is incorporated in the installation, so that if a lift should stop between floors i M that it is necessary for a passenger to do is to press j a button n the car and this will summon the custodian. The motor-rooms on the roof containing the operating equipment for the lifts are well designed and spacious and lend themselves admirably to the efficient layout of the equipment, which is compact and housed in dust-proof cabinets. A TELL-TALE PANEL. There is an interesting panel in the motor-room whicl. provides a complete record of the operation of the lifts. It shows the number of calls, at what floor these are registered, the direction of travel required by intending passengers, and the actual position of each car. The equipment is of English manufacture, having been made at the Express Lift Company's works at Northampton, and it has been installed by, the New Zealand agents, H. Moult, Ltd., Wellington. This company installed the lift in the old Government Life Building and it -was one of the first in Wellington.