Sari cant Art Gallery Competition WANGANUI.

Progress, Volume XII, Issue 4, 1 December 1916, Page 811

Sari cant Art Gallery Competition WANGANUI.

The Sarjcant Bequest

Won by Design No. 16 The assessor in this competition, Mr. S. Hurst Seager, F.R.T.B.A. gave his decision in the final competition in October, hut owing to some question having been raised regarding one of the designs, we were unable to publish the details till now. The following is the result:- —Design No. 16 emanating from the office of Mr. Edmund Anscombe of Dunedin. 166 marks out of a possible 168, first; Design No, 2 by H.M. Helm, Wanganui, 149 marks, second ; Design No. 1 by Messrs. W. G. & 11. B. Young of Wellington, 143 marks, third; Design No, 33 by C. Winter, C/o Government Architect’s Office, Sydney, 131 marks, fourth.

The Wanganui Council has appointed Mr. Anscombe architect for the carrying out of the work.. Architects were asked' to compete first of all in a Preliminary Competition from which three designs were to be selected, the authors of which were to receive £35 providing they agreed to compete again in the final competition. The winner of this final competition was to carry out the work. The sum of £9,000 was named as the amount which was not to be exceeded in the preliminary competition, and a builder's tender was asked for. Drawings to be 8-ft. to the inch and in pencil, with the Avails and sections tinted in. Studies for elevations, and sections to be shaded to represent horizontal and vertical projection. Sections to be made through all points, and four elevations were required. Although this competition was for the Art Gallery only, it was desired that the Art Gallery shall form part of a scheme including a Museum corresponding to the Art Gallery, and a central block of Municipal Offices and Town Hall. The assessor drew attention to the necessity of correct lighting in the conditions, and Avarned competitors that "the recent additions to the National Gallery and the Picture Galleries in the Victorian and Albert Museum failed Avholly in respect to their lighting—that is, they failed Avholly to fulfil the purpose for Avhich they Avere erected." The Assessor did not wish to hamper competitors in the conception of their designs but there are certain dominant thoughts which must be kept clearly in mind in the preparation of them, i.e., the building is to be a memorial, and must therefore be r, work of architectural distinction, not by lavish expenditure of material and labour, but by the artistic quality of the design.

The Assessor's article on "The Lighting of Picture Galleries and Museums" (published in the R.1.8.A. Journal, 3rd Series, Vol. XX., 1912), had to be carefully studied, and the building designed on the principles there laid down.

Report on Preliminary Competition

The Chairman, Sarjeant Art Gallery Committee. Dear Sir, — I have the honour to report that thirty-three designs were received. These were first carefully examined in conjunction with the descriptions and estimates. It is to be regretted that but little reliance could be placed on the builders’ estimates which accompanied the plans—how little can be at once seen from the fact that designs varying from 6,228 superficial floor area up to 12,576 superficial feet were valued by the builders equally at £9,000, and that even when the larger designs were often of a more expensive character than the smaller ones. I was compelled therefore, to disregard the estimates, and to measure up each design and assess the value as far as possible. This naturally entailed a large amount of work which need not have been given if more honesty had been shown on the part of competitors and their builders. Any competitor should have known that a building of the monumental character asked for and measuring 318,008 cubic feet, could not possibly be carried out for the amount stated. Yet the builders’ estimate for this large work was £9,000 and many other estimates were nearly as erroneous. Some competitors have made an honest attempt to keep within the amount allowed, but the builder’s estimate exceeding their expectations they have stated how the design might be reduced in order to comply with the Conditions. These designs have been adjudged on their merits on the reduced basis, as also were all designs which came within a reasonable distance of the amount allowed. Extravagant designs which could not possibly be executed as shown, and could not be carried out in part in such a way as to comply with paragraph 2 on page 9 of the Conditions which states that: “ The work when the £9,000 has been expended must not in any way suggest an unfinished building.” were rejected. It is pleasing to note that no outstanding first class design had to be rejected on these grounds, although among many so rejected, considerable skill was shown,skill which would have perhaps placed the competitors in the first rank if this very important condition as to cost had Deen honestly fulfilled.

From the Avhole number, nine designs,—having the distinguishing numbers 1,2, 7, 10, 15, 16, 19, 29, and 33-Avere selected for detailed examination.

A general survey of these showed that many competitors had again, as in the Dunedin Town Hall Competition, disregarded the request that they

should present their ideas with the minimum amount of labour and expense." Some of the designs were most elaborately and fully drawn, envolving a large expenditure of ,time, which in many cases could have been far better devoted to thought And study of the essential features of the problem.

As before stated, a professional assessor is not in [be least influenced by the display of skilful draughtsmanship. In this preliminary competition it is the ideas only which are judged. These should be presented in as concise and direct a form as possible. It should be remembered that the possession of sufficient power of draughtsmanship to materialize an architectural erection can be shown to a follow architect as well by a preliminary sketch as by elaborately finished drawings.

The method of competition here adoptedthe submission of preliminary rough sketches by all who wish to compete, and of carefully finished and detailed drawings by the few selected from them — is a very valuable one both for the competitors and the promoters. It enables busy professional men to present their ideas with a minimum of time and expense and thus to take part in the competition, when otherwise they would be unable to do so, and it enables those who finally compete to amend their designs where necessary in the light of the Assessor's criticism and report. It is to be hoped that competitors in future competitions will not nullify the advantages of the system by the useless attempt to influence the decision by elaborate presentation.

It is necessary in the final competition that the drawings should he as accurately and highly finished

as the skill of the competitor and his draughtsman will allow, for the Assessor in this case would naturally he influenced by the skill shown in details, and, moreover, the drawings would also have to make their appeal to the promoters and the public. In assessing the value of the designs, they were compared under twenty-two headings as shown by the accompanying table, with the result that No. 33 comes first with 127 marks out of a possible 168; No. 1 second with 125; and Nos. 16 and 2 equal with 123 marks. The individual marks vary exceedingly, and no one design takes a leading place in any two of the groupings shown. The headings -were grouped under:—

Total - .168 ~ For the General Scheme, No. 2 was easily Ist; Nos. 33 and 16, 2nd, equal; No. 1 a weak 4th. For the Plan, No. 33 was Ist; No. 1 was 2nd; Nos. 16 and 2, 3rd equal. For the elevations, No. 16 was easily first; No. 1 2nd; No. 33 3rd; No. 2 • 4th ; (These three were separated by only 1 mark).

1. General Scheme General Scheme. . 10 .. 10marks. m arh 2. The Plan The Plan.. 50 .. 50 >> yy 3. The Elevations The Elevations.. 48 .. 48 yy 4. The Interior Design .. The Interior Design .... 30 .. 30 >> yy 5. Lighting Lighting.. 30 .. 30 yy