BLUE BATH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 413, 23 December 1932, Page 6

BLUE BATH

i MAIN POOL OPENS I YALUABLE ADDITION TO ATTRACTIONS OF ! TOWN XJNIQUE LIGHTING SYSTEM U After many months of work, handicapped by limited funds, the main swimming pool in the New Blue Bath building will be open -d for public use to-day and thuy ffie deeislon of the Government to provide modern facilities for mixed bathing in Rotorua in | keeping with the requirements of an i up-to-date tourist resort, has reached a point when the aim has been realised. By a recent decision of the Government, the entire completion of the front portion of the building, which is to contain vestibule, tea rooms and offices has been delayed With the completion of the bath and dressing rooms the work will immediately become revenue produeing and will be one of the most popular attractions of the spa. In designihg the bath, care was taken to provide for its dimensions complying with the standards required for the holding of swimming championships and to this end a special diving stage of two platforms has been builfc over the deeper end of the pool. It may therefore be eonfidently assumed that with the provision of these facilities yet another step has been taken in the direetion of making Rotorua the ehief centro of Dominion sporting activities. Architectural Features Included in the building liousing the bath are a number of unique features .never previously used in New Zealand and although the completion of the work has been long delayed, this delay has enabled the addition of several amenities not included in the original plan, Designed on the latest architectural lines, the building housing the main bath conforms with the style adoptod for the smaller section and is 200 feet long with a width of 154 feet. Contained in this section is the swimming pool, which is 100 feot long by 40 feet wide and having a depth varying from 4 feet at the shallow end to 85 feet at the deepest point, privato dressing-rooms, approximately 120 dressing cubicles and the neccssary public and private toilet rooms. Also provided are attendants' rooms, public office and seating accommodation surrounding the bath. Overlooking the pool is a spaeious promenade baicony which is reached by two sets of stairs from the surrounds of the large pool. The hoarding previourdy separating the smaller pool from the iinv work has" now been removed and from the northern side of the main bath a pleasing view of bolh pools and the large pergola in ihe .-mali'r scctior, •separated by eight iluteu piliars, can now be obtained. To provide a reslful ap'pearance without glare from tne effects of th ;■ sun, the walls of the building surrounding the swimming pool have been finished in a erai'tex rough-cast nuirigold eftect, while the dressing rooms are plastered in cream with white ceilings, red floors in the cubicles and buff coloured passages. Each dressing cubicle is titted with seats, elothcs p'egs and curtains, while at a later stage heateiv will also be provided. Contained in the front of the building is a public office, where in addition to the issuing of tickets to swimmers using both baths, tickets and playing materials will also be issu d for bowls, croquet and tennis Entran -e to this office is overlooking the bowling green, and will suffice until the main 'entrance to the building eontaining vestibule and tea rooms is completed. Problem of Lighting Among the many prohlcms which caused a good deal of thoughi and consideration was a satisfaetory system of lighting the aetual hath, the system of overhead lighting employed in the juvenile bath not bcing considered satisfactory to meot the sp"cial requirements of the laiger pool. It was known to the electrical engineers that underwat or lighting had been used in several places in England and America, hut litlle informution as to the special type of fittings, lay-out and lamps could be obtained While the question was still under consideration, an article which appeared in an Australian technical journal gave sufficient information for a definite lay-out to be drawn up and as a result the pr.-sent system was evolved. Another question calling for full consideration in addition to the type of lighting was the strength of beam required to penetrate the varying density of the mineral water to be used in the pool, but this problem was also eventually solved, and based on tests carried out last week the system appears lo function satisfactorily despite the fact that the sides and bottom of the bath are as yet, untiled. The ultimate system adopted was a series of twenty submerged floodlights of varying strength, the whole developing a tatai voltage of 10,000 volts. These special liood-lights wero made to the departments specifications by Messrs Electrical Fltments, Ltd., Auckland, and from the trials recently carried out it secms safe to predict that the installation will prove one of the most pleasing features of the bath. For the ordinary lighting purposes of the building some 70 lights, contained in wat 'I'tight prismetic fittings have been used and these provide il- ; lumination which while adequato, is; not unnecessarily glaring and harmonises well with ihe tinc *d finish of the walls and ceilings. The whole work, which has been carried out by the Public Works Depaftment and sub-contractors under the capable supervision of the overseer, Mr. F. Barnicott is one of which they might well feel pleased and a valuable acqujsition to Rotorua as a tourist spa. As stated earlier, many delays have been necessary and the work fraught with difficulties but the structural work of the main section of the building is of a stancla vd which will serve the town for rnany years and" a monument to the ability of all connected with its construetion. Department's Viewg Interviewed by a "Morning Post'' representative, Mr. L. J. B.ayfeild. district manager of tlie Tourist Department, stated that he^was glad to say that it had "been possible, despite J