BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 29, 12 August 1871, Page 6

BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS.

THE COURT HOUSE AT WANGANUI

This fine building stands on a beautiful site known as the Market Reserve, and in the immediate vicinity of the Rutland stockade. The building faces east, has its principal front towards the river, and stands well back on the reserve —indeed, sufficiently far to admit ot the ground being laid out and planted as a public garden, which if done, and a neat fence erected round the reserve, would greatly assist the already imposing architecture of the Court. It has a frontage of 78 feet by a depth of 66 feet. The Court itself measures 63 feet long by 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high in the clear. At the west end i 9 the judge’s bench, with a private entrance communicating with it, and the judge’s room, 22 feet by 20 feet. The bench floor is raised 2 feet 6 inches above the business or counsels’ floor, and four feet above the public floor on the general level. Under the bench are provided police quarters, two cells, and two furnaces for warming the building with hot water, which is not yet completed, the apparatus being on its way from England. Erom the basement floor, about three feet below the ground level, a passage leads to the prisoner’s dock,iVliich is reached by a flight of steps not seen from the Court, thus enabling the officers in charge to conduct prisoners to the dock without contact with the outside public. Over the judge’s bench is a reporters’ gallery, iu front of which the Royal arms are placed, neatly modelled and gilt. At the east end of the Court house is the central entrance, leading into a lobby for the public, measuring 22 feet by 14 feet, and over this lobby a public gallery, 30 feet by 14 feet. The Court is lighted by ten windows, varying from one to three lights each to twenty single light windows, the sills of which are about 18 feet above the lowest part of the floor of the. court. The east front is divided into three distinct entrances, the central entrance, as just stated, being for the public into the Court. The entrances north and south of the centre stand under verandahs, with neat railings in front, and open at the ends, with flights of steps. Corridors, 35 feet long and 3 feet wide by 14 feet high, are reached from the verandahs, off which are the necessary apartments and conveniences required in such buildings. These offices form two wings, 58 feet by 43 feet exclusive of the verandah, the height being 14 feet in the clear. In the north wing, we have a room for witnesses in waiting 16 feet by 14 feet, a petty jury room 18 feet by 14 feet, and a grand jury room 22 feet by 20 feet; while in the south wing the barristers have a room, as also the registrar and judge, equal in size to those in the north wing. The elevations have all a finished appearance, for standing as it does on a public reserve, surrounded by streets, the building is seen from all sides. This necessitated that all four elevations should be in keeping the one with the other, and a chief point aimed at has been to make it appear a structure built of wood, and in consequence we do not find mock pilasters, mock ashlar work, or any other work in disguise. Each part of the whole seems to say, “I am made of wood.” All angles and margins to door and window openings are of solid totara, dressed and stop chamfered, and the spaces between filled in with totara feather-carved weatherboarding. Looking at the east and west elevations, the centre portion of the former has the appearance of a two-story building, while the latter, with its secure basement, looks to have three, the reason being that the top windows give light to the court, while those below do like office for the public lobby, under the strangers’ gallery and the Judge’s private entrance under the reporters’ gallery, the basement receiving light from windows under the latter. The centre portion, both east and west, is finished by the roof projecting three feet, and forming pediments ; the north and south sides having similar projections of the roof, in the form of eaves. These projections have very bold mouldings, and are supported by double cantilevers together, three feet high, springing from a moulded string course ; the centre window in each gable being finished with pediments and the usual trusses. The wings have hipped roofs extending over, the reran*

dahs having similar projections, or overhang* iuga to the pediments and eaves of the centre, and, like them, supported by solid cut cantilevers, but single instead of double, and spring* ing from a stop chamfered string intersecting with the margin and angle studs. These projecting eaves form cornices, and being made to extend along the centre portion, which it divides into two stories, adds much to the general effect. The continuance of the bold cornice, its great projection and deep cantilevers, give length and breadth of shadow not otherwise attainable. These cornices, as eaves, extend round the north and south sides, and are finished to correspond. Much effect is gained by the solid appearance of the thick cantilevers. The verandah posts also terminate at the stop chamfered string course, and with similar thick cantilevers, but of different design, the strength of the roof supports is much increased As wells are unknown in Wanganui, the water supply for the heating apparatus and other purposes has to be provided for from the rain-fall, and a very large brick tank, lined with Portland cement, has been constructed, with a force pump, to supply the cisterns. Between the sessions of the supreme court the building will be used as a resident magistrate’s court, for which purpose only one wing is required, and the warming apparatus is so arranged that the court and one wing only can receive its benefits as desired. The interior is plastered throughout and colored in distemper. The work has been executed in a most excellent manner by Mr Charles M‘Kirdy, under the supervision of Mr W. H. Hales, from the designs of the colonial architect, and the building is creditable to all, aS well as an ornament to the town of Wanganui, while the institution itself must be a great convenience to the inhabitants generally in that part of the country. THE NEW GOVERNMENT OFFICES. It will be remembered that during the last session of parliament a sum of six thousand pounds was voted for repairs to the public buildings and the erection of new offices. This sum was much below what was required, and it became necessary to expend it to the best advantage, the first consideration being the safety of tho*e portions of the old buildings suffering most from the inroads of the dry rot. The heavy slate roofs were'taken off the two chambers, and corrugated iron substituted, thus securing our legislators, for a time at least, from broken craniums should such a calamity have occurred as the falling in of a roof. There is now not the slightest danger to be apprehended on this score, and this object being attained, the next consideration was to provide shelter for the many members of the civil service who had hitherto to take refuge in deserted chambers of legislature, committee rooms, smoking rooms, Bellamy’s, or any other nook or corner wherein a table, chair, and pigeon holes could be squeezed. A general design to accommodate the entire civil service was first made and decided upon, and as the money voted could not bufld the whole, tenders were invited for the building in three sections, viz., the north wing, centre and south wing, that for the. latter being accepted for about £4,000. The architecture is that known as French Gothic, and advantage has been taken (probably a liberty) to avoid the heavy mullioned windows common to the style, but which nevertheless are very obstructive to the admission of lights, a most necessary desideratum in public offices. The south wing contains nineteen offices, generally 18 x by 16 each, all having fireplaces, besides two have brick fire-proof storing rooms, providing accommodation for six departments not previously housed in Government buildings, and consequently effecting a very large saving of rent. On the gi’ound floor will be found the offices, of the Public Works Department and Colonial Architect. On the first floor are the offices of the Minister of Justice, the Attorney-General, Assistant Law Office, Attorney-General’s clerks, and Patent Office. The second floor is occupied by the Government Annuities Office, the Defence Office, and Inspector of Militia and Volunteers. The building is plastered throughout the interior, finished with weatherboards outside, and corrugated gal-* vanised iron roofs. In an architectural point of view it is already a success, but when the whole facade is completed, with the clock tower in the centre, it is expected to be the most imposing building in Wellington. MR BURRETT’S PREMISES.

Among the many improvements that have been lately made in the shops and business premises in our city we must notice those of Mr Robert Burrettj bookseller and government bookbinder. Less than two years ago Mr Burrett, from increasing business, found it necessary to remove from his original shop in Manners-street to the larger and more commodious one he had erected in Willis-streeb. His increasing trade has rendered further extension necessary, and where the small low shop stood at the corner of Charlotte-street and Lambton Quay, lie has raised a large two storied building, with a .very tastefully decorated front, surmouuted by a balustrade ornamented with carving. Entering the front shop a handsome staircase ascends to ‘ the show-room, on the walls of which are hung some very good specimens of oleographs and chromo-lithographs; among the former are some excellent copies of paintings by both old and modern painters. On the counter and in the centre of the room under glass cases is displayed a profusion of fancy articles. Passing from the show-room the paper-room is reached, where on racks are stored the various kinds of printing and writing paper used in the business. Further on is the engraving and lithographing department. At the back part of the upper workshop is the collating room, where three or four hands are busy collating parliamentary papers. Descending by a staircase to the lower workshop, which is under the immediate superintendence of the preprietor about a dozen men are engaged in the various departments of bookbinding. The finishers*

department; is well fitted ; it contains an arming press for blocking the covers of books, gas stove for heating the tools, and a full supply of other requisites. On the other side of the shop the booksewers are seated at a long table stitching the sheets of paper into books for binding. Next come the ruling machines, a paging machine, perforating machine, embossing machine, a machine for cutting millboards, and various others. lieturning to the retail shop, the stock room is passed, the shelves of which are filled with school books and various kinds of stationery, whilst the general literature, of which there is a good variety of most branches, is stored in the front shop, which has been enlarged and refurnished with show cases, and now presents a very handsome appearance. The alterations have been designed by Mr Tringham, the architect, and satisfactorily executed by the contractors, Messrs Barry and Co. The establishment is the largest in the colony, and is fitted up with the latest improvement in machines and tools in use in the old country.