PROPOSED NEW KNOX CHURCH.

Evening Star, Issue 2925, 4 July 1872, Page 2

PROPOSED NEW KNOX CHURCH.

Tenders are now invited for the erection of a new church for the congregation wor--1 shipping in Knox Church, according to a design prepared by Mr David Hunter, contractor for the new First Church. Subject to a tender being receivad for its completion within the authorised sum, Mr Hunter’s plan was unanimously adopted by the committee as the best of those sent in for competition. The ground plan forms a Latin Cross, and the building itself will be purely Gothic. Its tength from the buttresses in the tower to the outside of the walls of the session room at the back of the building is 136 feet and the extreme width across the transepts to the outside of the walls is 88 feet. There will be scat accommodation on the floor for 720 persona, and it is intended to make room for 280 more by means of a gallery. There will also ho a platform, raised two feet six inches from the floor of the Church, capable of seating a choir of 26 persons on the same level as the precentor’s desk. This platform will he surrounded by a riclx rail From this platform, by a circular stair, the minister will ascend the pulpit, the floor of which is four feet above the level of the platform. The design of the pul it is very rich. The reading-desk is to be supported on carved brackets springing from columns with carved capitals ; while the body of the pulpit will be deeply recessed with moulded panels. The top moulding will project boldly, and sculptured pendants will be suspended at intervals. The pulpit will he placed at the back of the building, in a groined recess : the ribs of the groined work terminat ing at the top of a large arch in the wall of the main building. The pulpit will be lighted by a large circular tracery window above the arch. The floor of the pave and aisles from the tower entrance will s’ope down towards the transepts, the rbc towards the tower being 2 feet 0 inches. Thus those at a distance from the minister will be enabled to see him through their higher position. The site of the building, as is well known, is on the angular section of ground at the junction of George street with Pitt street, adjoining the Manse. The church will be so placed that the sides of Hie building will tske the line of both streets, so that the lower ‘will be situated at the angle where the two streets meet. The main entrance to the church will be by a large door in the tower at this angle. On passing through this door a lobby 28 feet by 8 feet 6 inches is entered, whence passages branch to different parts of the church. Springing from this lobby on each side, leading to the gallery, will be a substantial stone staircase. While it is intended that the pougregation shall enter only through the main door, on leaving the oh arch other dp s rs will bo available. For this purpose side doors at the foot of the gallery stair oases can be opened as well as outlets to the right and left of the pulpit. At the back of the Church there are to bc'ajladies’’waitmg room, minister’s room, and a room 22 feet by 18 feet for holding meetings of the session. The walls of the Church are to be of squared bluestone rubble, with all the angles, window |;iiubs, tracery-work, mulliong and qthey wqrks, m white Kakaqui stone, This wjll form a beautiful contrast with the dark colored bluestone. The basement course is to be of Port Chalmers bluestone, which is to be continued to the height of two feet three inches above the ’ground level. It is to be fine-axed, and to have margin draft? and deep splay. The remauinder of the base course is to be pf Kakamii stone, in two heights, each one foot four inches! high, and moulded. T]ie base course and sills of the windows aro to in Kakamii stone, and befween them will be a course of bluestone rubble to vary the effect. Deep buttresses 2 feet in depth and 2 feet 3 inches wide on the face will give stability to the walls at each ■ angle. They will be relieved with Kakanui stone quoins and intakes as they ascend. Pinnacles with their origin at the level of the spring of the iboL Will rise to the peight ojl Ip met. Tjipy will bp relieved by deeply recessed moulded panels, ami will terminate with richly carved flniala. The dividing line between the sills of the upper windows and the arches of the lower will he relieved by aoour.e of white stone, 2 feet 3 inches deep, with deeply sunk trefoil panels and mouldings above and below the course. As this will be continued round the building, the effect will be exceedingly rich. .On each side of the nave two buttresses will project boldly, and terminate in fine tapering pinnacles. Between these buttresses will be high pitched gablets, terminating in rich and massive linials. Between the buttresses above the gallery, there will be large tracery windows with richly moulded ■Jfjiubß, springing |rom ap bps* relieved' with rich crockets running upwards and ending in an elaborate liuial. The windows in the transept gables will be each 30 feet high by 13 feet wide, with Gothic heads, and fillings in of rich tracery. They are so designed that should it be thought desirable at some future time to extend the galleries, the outside effect will net be spoiled. A division in the height of the mullions, calculated to add much to the strength of the window, y.'ill rjsp tpgd to l;idcfiom the outside the woodwork : used’ hi extending the gallery. Extending along thp whole cf the wallheads, in front of the gutters, there is a parapet 3 feet high, having a bold moulded coping, with deep sunk panelling between the belt and the cope moulding. The walls are to be 2 feet 9 inches thick to the top of the base course, and from that to the roof 2 feet.

The tower, from the bottom of the base to the intakes for the spire, is to bo 76 feet high, and its extreme width, including its buttresses, 26 feet. Tljc buttresses at the angles of the tower will run upwards; ami terminate at the height of the springing of the spire. The projection of the buttresses at the basement is to be 3 feet 6 inches from the line of wab, and the width on the face 3 feet. Of those, there are two at each corner. For the relief of the buttresses there will be belts and intakes of white stone introduced iu nearly equal divisions from the

base Ime to where the spire commenoea. wall between the buttresses of the spire is to be .1 feet thick. The main entrance ia i entirel y Kaktinui atone, and there will be two massive columns on each side, with sculptured capitals. Between these columns are to oe deep’y recessed mouldings. The centre one will be ornamented, starting from the base of column, and going afl lonnd the arch. There are also to he two other enriched members starting from the top of the capitals. Immediately above the arch at the main entrance, and in a line with the first intake of the buttresses, will be a quatrefoil course of 3 feet. In the front of the tower, and above this course, will be a window, the sills of which will be corbelled out and moulded, and pendants will hang from the projection effected by the corbellings. From the sill of this window spring angle buttresses, which run up each side of the window and terminate with fine tapering pinnacles and carved finials. Between these pinnacles there is a high pitched gablet, terminating also with carved finial. At the same height on the tower there will be two other windows, one on each side, of similar design, but flush with the wall, and having tracery heads. At the height of 6G feet there will be a clock face on each side of the tower, with carved spaudrils. From ■ the springing of the spire come ornamental windows IS feet high ; and at an elevation of 9S feet the spire is to spring from the tower in an octagonal form, and the four corners of the tower will end iu massive solid pinnacles 20 feet high, with ornamental fluials. Each pinnacle will be connected to the tower by a richly moulded flying buttress. The spire is to have projecting ribs and crockets on the octagon angles, taporing gradually upwards, and is to terminate at a height of 168 feet above the ground The columns that support the gallery continue up for the support of the roof, and finish with carved capitals, from which spring the ribs at the line of each principal. Hie whole of the roof is supported by principals and carved throughout underneath with diagonal deal linings, stained and varnished. The windows are filled in with quarry lights, with stained-glass margins, and with ground-glass within these ma gins. The building is to be roofed with slates, and gas is to be introduced throughout. Great attention has been paid to ventilation, there being eight ventilators in the windows, and six in the roof. We shall be glad if this beautiful design is carried into effect, as it will prove a credit to the designer and an ornament to the town.