New £42,000 Flats

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 566, 19 January 1929, Page 5

New £42,000 Flats

Seven Storeyed Building in City

“Hampton Court” Ready in Spring

A SEVEN-STOREYED block of flats to be erected at a total cost of £42,000 on the corner of Wellesley Street and Lower Vincent Street will be an imposing addition to the city’s skyline as seen from the harbour. Plans! have been prepared by Mr. S. S. Alleman, architect, and the contract let to J. T. Julian, Ltd., who hope to finish their part of the work in the early spring.

Hampton Court Flats, as tlie project has been styled, will include features entirely new to Auckland. A modern cafeteria will be located in the basement so that tenants are saved the necessity of going out for meals when the urge to cook their own is absent. On the ground floor a large and wellfurnished lounge is planned, and the service will include . n inquiry office for the convenience of tenants and visitors. The astuteness of the architect’s design in taking advantage of every foot of space will make it possible for the promoters of the scheme to adhere to their original intention of modern, roomy flats within two minutes of the heart of the city, at a moderate rental. The apartments will be let from 35s a week upward, the average being £2 5s Gd. With few exceptions, the flats above the second floor will command magnificent harbour views, and each flat has been designed to it to obtain direct sunlight. There are two threeroomed and four two-roomed fiats on the six upper floors, and two threeroomed and two two-roomed fiats on the ground floor, making a total of 40 in all. Telephone boxes are located in the lounge for the use of tenants.

Provision is made lor telephonic con nection to each fiat.

The building is to be of reinforced concrete construction throughout, with cavity brick external walls finished in facing brick and imitation stone dressings. Interior partitions will be of soundproof construction and all modern methods of fireproofing in the building are incorporated in the design. The three-roomed fiats each contain an entrance hall, living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom and a balconette. The t.wo-roomed flats are identical, but with only one bedroom. Tiled bathrooms, a central rubbish chute, laundry and electric hot-water service are other attractions.

The building is diivded into two blocks of 20 flats, each of which is served by a fireproofing staircase, and high-speed automatic, passenger lift. The flat roof will be laid out as a roof garden with pergolas and seats. By the dedication of four feet of land to the City Council, the company has ensured that Lower Vincent Street will be widened to 50 feet. Financial arrangements for (lie project have now been satisfactorily concluded, and the promoter of the company, Mr. C. J. Green, Bank of New Zealand Chambers, will shortly be opening a preferential list for intending tenants.