THE DESIGNS FOR THE NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1693, 24 July 1879, Page 4

THE DESIGNS FOR THE NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS.

The joint committee of the City Council and peißons chosen to assist them in tho selection of two designs entitled to the premiums offered by the City Conncil.have so farcompleted their labors as to select six for fnrther consideration. By an error which appeared in a paragraph on Wednesday morning, tho design bearing, the motto of "NilDesperanduu" ww insertedintho list of the six bo selected. The correct list is as follows: " Bobbie Burns," "Pro Patria," " Avon, " Each bird its nest esteemeth best, Composite," and '* Well Considered." . . Yesterday, from noon, the rooms in which the designs have been grouped were thrown open to the public, and the very_ large attendance showed the interest felt in the matter. In order that the six selected by the committee might be distinguished more easily from tho others the committee affixed small flags to tham. As before stited the work of grouping has been carried out bo as to exhibit the drawings to the best advantage. -If there ia a fault to be found it is that in some instances the finished elevations, showing the buildings as proposed to be erected, are hung too high to be seen properly. The conditions under which the competitio ia conducted are as follows : . . , '• Designs to be for a town hall and municipal offices, proposed to be erected on the triangular block formerly forming part of the Market Place reserve of Christchurch, known a 3 the old Post Office site, and bounded by Colombo street, Victoria street, and Oxford terrace, and more particularly delineated on the plan hereto annexed. No suggestions are offered as to the style of the proposed buildings, except that a clock tower with four faces shall be a prominent feature in the design, nor are any restrictions imposed on competitors in other, respects, economy and suitahility to- the climate, and to the various purposes to which the buildings are to be devoted, being had in view. It must be distinctly understood that the designs shall be so prepared for the proposed buildings that the total cost of those buildings shall not exceed J 820,000, exclusive of architect's fee 3, clerk of the works, and such like "contingencies. Premrams"offered are —.£IOO for the first design, and £SO for the second. The firat arid second premiated designs are to become the property of the Christchurch City Council. The Council does not bind itself to employ the successful competitor to carry ont the work." After describing the details of the plans, &0.,' ,ta be sent in, the conditions go on to say —Each design must be accompanied by a general de-: scription of the whole building, and of the various materials to be employed in its construe- 1 lion, and to include an explanation, illustrated j by diagrams, of the system of ventilation and heating proposed to be-adopted. The materials; to be used shall be Portland cement concrete in foundations.- External walls to be > of brick,, with white stone dressings. All internal walls to be of brick. The accommodation to be proI Tided for was stated as.follows: —Town clerk's, office, private office, stationery closet, messenger's office, two committee rooms, muniment; 'room fireproof, Jcity. treasurer's office, private -' office, rate collector's room, Council chamber 60 x 40, Mayor's room. Mayor's office, ante-' room, library, lavatory, water-clesets, &c, mayor's court 60 x 40; offices, town hall about 120 x 60, supper room 80. x *SO, card room, ladies' retiring room, gentlemen's do, lavatory, ticket office, kitchen, draughtsman's office, clerk's office, surveyor's private, office, contractor's room, closet,.; muniment < room fireproof, inspector of nuisances'.office.iliving room for care-taker, two bedrooms, kitchen, storeroom, urinal, water-cloßets, and lavatories. The attention of competitors is drawn to the fact that the offices should be contiguous to one another, so that the town clerk can have easy access to all. ; j '' j;"|

The following is a brief resume of the salient points of the Beleoted designs : "■ - • __, •C3«7Bobbie Burns." —This design is a most elaborate is by'a broad flight of steps, and large doors leading into a corridor which rnns ronnd-.the whole of the offices, hall, &c. The town hall ia a well proportioned room with dais and organ lot fat one end, and having numerous exits in case of alarm -or panic. On the right and left, hand from the hall are the Mayor's court and Council chamber various offices for Mayor.ftown clerk," surveyor; com; " niittees, &c, radiate-off the corridors. The supper room is upstairs. The system of heating proposed is an adaptation of Constantino's patent, the apparatus chamber being in the basement. . .....

" Well Considered"—The bnilding proposed by this plan is Italian in style of architecture, -, and tho competitor furnishes two Bets of plans, one being alternative, the only change being a redistribution of tho offices. .The principal entrance fronts "Victoria street, and is approached by broad flights of stone! steps; the entrance hall being the full height of the building. To the right and left are cloak rooms, and to the front is the entrance to the a wellproportioned room. At the end is the supper i room. The hall has six oxita and a gallery at one end. An arrangement is made by which the doors on the corridor being closed, all noise from the hall is cut off from the oflices. The oflices for surveyor, ranger, inspector, Ac, are on the ground floor, that for town clerk being placed on the first floor,. contiguous to the Council chamber. The Council chamber, Mayor's room, &c, complete the arrangements on this floor. It is proposed by the plan to provide three large tanks, to be supplied by the engine working the heating apparatus, and hydrants are provided for in various parts of th'e building to be used in case of fire. A private entrance for the'Mayor and councillors is provided on Oxford terrace, and an entrance for the general public to the Mayor's court on the same street. The Bystem of heating proposed is to be by hot water on the low pressure system, the ventilation either Tobin's or Eeed'a pneumatic. ai " Pro Patria."—The Btyle of architecture is block for the first story, and classical for the upper portion, with tower on Colombo street elevation. The principal entrance hall will face Colombo and Victoria streets, up a flight of stone steps, protected on each side with ornamental iron railings. The hall to be based with ornamental basement, and te be finished with a relieving arch, opening into the corridor. After passing along the corridor to the right access is gained to the private and town clerk's offices. Proceeding along this corridor is the messengers' room, with closet, and the entrance leading from Colombo street to the Council chambers runs into this corridor. Beyond this is the office of the Mayor and clerks, and the Mayor's court, which has an entrance from Oxford Terrace. To the left of the entrance hall, along the corridor, is the city treasurer's office and the Mayor's private office. This reaches to the entrance from Victoria street, which is opposite the private entrance to the Council chamber. Along this corridor is the Mayor's ante-room, office of inspector ofnuisances, contractor's room, rate collector's office, surveyor's draughtsman's office, strong room, lavatories, &c, terminating at the back entrance. To the right of this portion of the corridor is one of the principal staircases, leading to the t>wn hall supper room, library, &c. Underneath this staircase is the lavatory, and beyond a yard for coals, &c. Cut of this yard is au entrance to the caretaker's department, who has also an entrance from Oxford terrace. The entrance to the town hall will be up a flight of stone steps. 1 he hall will be paved with ornamental majolica tiles, laid to a geometrical design. Through this hall is the grand staircase, at the top of which access is gained to a long open corridor, relieved with arches. There is one principal doorway leading into the hall, a'so one at the end, leading to tho gallery and supper room. Off the supper room are the retiring rooms, and under the staircase ticket collector's office. The council room will be lighted with a long skylight from the open court. Tho heating U to be by means of hot water, the apparatus beiDg placed in the basement story. Ventilation is provided for by means of largo air flues. The building is designed in a rectangular form. " Avon."—The entrance to the. proposed buildings is through a hall 15ft. wide. On the right and left are the Mayor's court, offices, &c, town clerk's and city treasurer's offices. The Council chamber, Mayor's offices, surveyor's and mesaoagers' departments are on the first floor, access to which is gained from tho ground floor by a stone staircase 7ft. wide. The Town Hall, wbich has to a great extent been made the feature of the plan, is on the ground floor. It is proposed to be 150 ft long, 60ft. wide, and 43ft. 6in. high, with a seating accommodation for 3000. There is a public entrance from Colombo street, with ticket offices, retiring and cloak rooms, &c. At the Victoria street end of the hall, provision i 3 made for performers, Ac, entering right and left of the orchestra, with separate entrances from the streets and hall. Over the orchestra is the organ loft. The supper room, 80 x 30 and 20ft. high, is adjacent, and a kitchen. The Mayor's court public entrance is in Victoria street. Iho Council Jchamber is over tho Mayor's court. The ventilation proposed is Beed's pneumatic system, the heating to be by hot water pipes. " Each Bird its nest esteemeth best."—This design is in the French Renaissance style of architecture. On the basement floor, which is proposed to be two feet above present street level, is planned the Mayor's court, with necessary oflices, lavator.es, &c, kitchen, scullery, pantry accommodation for caretaker and mes-1 senger. There are also provided apartments for storage, workshops, &c. Seven sets of roomy stairs give access to the ground floor. The space under the town hall is planned for cellarage, having a tramway through the centre. The basement is intended to be lighted throngh the external walls. On the ground floor, which is raised thirteen feet above the present street level, it is proposed to place the town hall, retiring, smoking, cloak, and card rooms, ticket offiee, lavatories, &c. The hall is. approached by two main entrances, one being m Colombo and the other in Victoria street, and likewise by two setß of stairs from the main corridors. The hall is to be lighted by five large double Jang windows on the elevation facing Oxford terrace, and five similar windowß I

placed in the back end gable facing the open court. The stairs to be lighted from tho main entrance halls, corridors, and open recess in the centre of the building. The other part of the ground floor is proposed to be occupied by rooms appropriated to the Mayor, treasurer, town clerk, rate collector, and muniment, stationery, and committee rooms. On the first floor are offices for the city surveyor, water and gas departments, and inspector of nuisances. Here also will be the Council chamber, with councillors' .'rooms, ante-rooms, cloak-rooms. Adjoining,- the town hall is the supper room, serving room, &c. There are two balconies, one of which can be used as a promenade in connection with the supper room, the other as a hustings for elections. The.latter faces Oxford terrace. As proposed, the open court or area in the enclosure between the main hall and office corridors is purposed to be used for yard purP ,S -Composite."— The entrance to the proposed bnilding is by a vestibule and hall leading to the Mayor's offices gand ; court, having! witnesses rooms, &c , in close contiguity. The public entrance through the court is by a doorway on the west side. The offices of the town clerk are on the south east corner of the bailding, comprising some clerks' offices, public and private, muniment room, messenger's office, and stationery Btore. Next to these are the committee rooms. The surveyor's department is planned at the north-west corner of the building, being easily reached from the Mayor's and town clerk s department. Passing the surveyor s large public room, the next in order are surveyor s private office, clerks and contractors'.room, and monument room. The Connoil chambers and Mayor's rooms are on the floor. Access to these arj gained by a principal staircase next to the tower, and a double flight of stairs leading from east doorway to ante-rooms, Council cbamb?r, library, lavatories, and Mayor's room. The principal entrance to the hall is approached by a donble flight of steps. Entering the Colombo street door the first-class ticket office is reached, next being the ladies' cloak room. Access to the front part of the hall is gained, by ascenainglthe Btaircase. The supper rooms, card room, retiring rooms, &c., are approached by two arched doors from the hall, the supper and serving room being provided with a lift from the kitchen in the ba°ement. The second entrance to the_ hall is approached by a wide staircase, starting from the west door and landing at the back of the hall. By closing a sliding door the whole of the second class public are kept from the other part of the building. A staircase at the back of the Mayor's room leads to the bell and clock tower. Provision is made for the accommodation _of performers, &c, by a green room, retiring rpoms, &c. Staircases lead from the stage down into the body of the hall, so that performers can go from the hall to the stage or vice versa when necessary. The heating of the hall is proposed to be by hot water running throngh iron pipes round all the rooms and the hall. Ventilation is secured by large ventilating shafts running round the ceiling of the hall conducting into the ventilating turrets. The faces of the shafts are of light ornamental iron work. The designs will be on view for a few days longer. It is probable that the final decision will be arrived at shortly.