Beauty and Utility

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 50, 27 June 1930, Page 34

Beauty and Utility

_ Wellington’s Newest Club — (CONGRATULATIONS to the architect and executive of Wellington’s newest club, the "Civic." They are to be congratulated on the opportunity they have taken of employing electricity throughout their palatial new premises at Levy Buildings, Courtenay, Place. The furnishing scheme, as a whole, is luxurious, dignified and restrained. Replete with every comfort, the lighting is an example of what modern lighting should be. It is doubtful if,.in any single instance, the glaring mistake of an uncovered light,is to be dictated. There are several card-rooms, including one with a specially fitted poker table, and all are softly and efficiently illuminated. Corridors are lighted by indirect fittings, while the reading-room boasts not only a central fitting and a reading lamp for the enjoyment of all the latest periodicals and magazines, but reflected lights over all the well-known dailies of the .Dominion. An absolutely. sound-proof telephone cabinet has also been installed. The eight tables in the billiard room with their lighting fittings have been imported direct from Thurston’s, of Leicester Square, London, the wellknown billiards specialists. They leave nothing to be desired. There are two private billiard rooms open to ladies, ‘accompanied by members of the club, and one table is of championship design, conforming to the requirements’ of the British Championship Billiard Association championship matches. The beauty of the comfortable little Jounge is further enhanced by two original paintings of the late Lord Leighton, one-time president of -the Royal Academy. It is, however, in the dining-room, _ with its sunny, soft-finished , electric-ally-sprayed walls, that the last word in lighting is displayed. Two horizontal panels of layers of opalescent glass conceal lighting bulbs, which shed a diffusion of light for general purposes; and are supplemented by central and wall fittings of glass panels of futuristie design in oxydised metal mountings. The lighting scheme is perfect, and the table appointments are the refinement of good taste. The kitchens, too, are adequately provided with electricity, being equipped with nothing less than electric hotplates and grill, a five-gallon electric urn (with three separate porcelaindined compartments for hot water, milk

and coffee respectively), electric toasters, percolators and waffle irons. As one would expect, other fittings are all on the same up-to-date scale. The pastry slabs, and, indeed, all cooking tables are of slate. The cloak-room is fully equipped with spacious lockers with a Yale lock for each member; a rack for members’ private billiard cues; baths and showers of the latest designs, A novel feature, about to be developed, is that of a roof-garden for afternoon tea, to which members will be able to take their ladies. What a sanctuary for mere man!