Coming Of The “Civic”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 852, 21 December 1929, Page 3 (Supplement)

Coming Of The “Civic”

Site Has Interesting History Growth Of The Building AN interesting history attaches to the site on which the Civic Theatre now stands in its striking architecture. During the last five years the now famous civic square has fceen the centre of militant local politics, and quietude has only come as a result of the decision of the City fathers to lease the block for utilisation by private enterprise.

It is fitting that the section com tnanding the junction of Queen and Wellesley Streets should raise up the finest building of all on the whole area. The position is an important one and had mediocrity been planned the corner would have missed a great opportunity. The rise of the Civic Theatre has been rapid, yet with the springing of the magnificent building as it were out of the earth there has been no suggestion of over-anxiety to run the building up regardless of the aesthetic. The fine pile dominating that area which is now becoming known as Auckland’s theatre-land speaks for itself. It is a worthy addition to the best of the city’s architecture.

Aucklanders have watched with fascination the coming of the “Civic.” A few short months ago men came along and looked at the great open space all desolate in grass and weeds

■&ccuim6ij luibuMiii lur an Lime. Aliev went away and one Monday morning other men arrived and began to erect a tall fence on the street frontages. The city was acquainted with their intention, for had not a preliminary notice-board proclaimed that Auckland was to have a new theatre, the like cf which had not before been known? Then one day a mechanical shovel started its long operation of delving into the heart of the square. Little knots of wayfarers watched the uncanny machine as it tossed the spoil into waiting lorries. Daily the shovel struck deeper. The open waste of land took on another aspect. The square became a gaping hole. Down and down the machine toiled, disturbing ground that had not felt the sun for half a century. Citizens came to peer over a cliff in Queen Street. The foundations of a huge building must go deep, and so the mechanical

excavator worked on, until at length solid rock was encountered. Next stage. Where spoil had come out concrete and bricks and steel were put in. Slowly the ground plan of the new theatre took outline. Every day and all day people lined the fence to watch the army of workers below. The scene was reminiscent of an ants’ nest disturbed. Round about the tremendous walls arose a vast forest of scaffolding. The workmen reached ground level, continued to lay bricks and tip concrete and swing mighty girders, and gradually climbed until

Auckland began to look upward instead of down. MAKING OF THEATRE-LAND In all cities worthy of the name travellers note a tendency to the development of a distinct theatre-land —a kind of amusement zoning: which comes about of it 3 own accord as a result of an affinity of one theatre for another. This aggregation is to be found in Auckland no less than in other towns of the size. An unmistakable “Piccadilly” is rising round about the junction of Queen Street with

the Wellesley Streets. Year by year the lights gleam brighter, the buildings made for pleasure and instruction assume a more pretentious aspect. And now comes the Civic, with its striking note of originality' by day and by night alike. Just as the architecture halts the pedestrian for his admiration while the sun is up, so the new exterior lighting system compels appreciation when darkness is over the City. Auckland play audiences are critical, having been educated to demand the best both in the presentation of the play and in the house of its performance. Overseas visitors in the theatrical profession have commented on the standard in this City. Knowing what was required the architects of the Civic Theatre have set out to raise the standard even higher, and the new building, which is its own eloquent tribute, testifies to their success. It is fitting that so lofty and commanding a structure should be reared on the corner site of the' Civic centre block. Under the scheme for which the decrepit shops of wood were razed a vista of fine classical buildings had been planned, in accordance with an ambitious project to give Auckland a Civic Square flanked by an art gallery and a municipal building. The plan never came to fruition, owing to the adverse vote of citizens, who felt T Ji ems elves unable to face an expenditure of £340,000 of public money. They saw the antiquated shops pulled down, saw the Civic Square scheme collapse, saw a new council subdivide and lease the barren land, and wondered what sort of architecture would take the place of the little shops. Now private money has done what city ratepayers hesitated to essay. Fine commercial houses are going up on the square. And dominating all stands the Civic Theatre. For many months Aucklanders have watched the structure take form. They saw the Civic Square become the hollow square—university students dubbed it that—as the foundations were excavated for the big theatre. Citizens paused in the bustle of their business to peer into the depths of Queen Street from which the “Civic” was rising, vast and impressive. AN HISTORIC SITE The “Civic” stands on historic ground. The site was given, with the rest of the “Civic Square,” which