Vol. CxvIII — 3062
The ARCHITECT & BUILDING NEWS
AUGUST 26, 1927
Proprietors: Gilbert Wood & Co., Ltd.
Managing Director: William L. Wood
Editorial, Publishing and Advertisement Offices:
Rolls House, 2 Breams Buildings, London, E. C. 4. Tel.: Holborn 5708 Registered Office: Imperial Buildings, Ludgate Circus, London, E. C. 4
Principal Contents
Notes and Comments..................................................... Page 335, 336 Competition Notes....................................................................... 336 Some New Manchester Buildings (Illustrations)..................... 337-346 Modern Practice: III. — Painting Asbestos Cement
Products.......................................................................... 347 Some Modern French Details (Illustrations).......................... 348-350 Professional Societies.................................................................. 350 New Fiats, Grosvenor Square, London (Illustrations)......... 351, 353 New Ways and Means (Illustrations)............................................. 352
New Needs and Modern Notions: VIII. (Illustrations)....... 354 A Concrete Garage at Swansea (Illustrations)............................ 356 London Building Notes............................................................... 358 The Week’s Building News......................................................... 360 Building Contracts Open............................................................. 362
Building Tenders.................................................................. 362, 366 Current Market Prices ................................................. 364, 366 Current Measured Rates................................................ 368, 370 Building Wages Grades................................................................................................................. 372
NOTES AND COMMENTS
It may be coincidence but, more probably, the abnormally wet season, that is the explanation of recent road subsidences, the number of which has certainly given some cause for alarm. Rather naturally, the sensational building collapse in Cornhill, and the discovery of the condition of the adjoining roadway, has attracted most attention; but since then there has been a road subsidence in Sherborne Lane close by, although the City officials scout the idea that the cause was other than a purely local one. We are informed, too, that excavations in connection with the repaving of Piccadilly revealed a cavity in one part which might have caused a collapse of the roadway in the near future. Manchester last week also weighed in with two road subsidences, and during the week-end Fleet Street became a scare area, although the trouble here seems to have been not subsidence but upheaval of the wood blocks through the wet. Road subsidences have not been uncommon events in the past; it is the crop of them that has taken place recently rather than the occurrence itself that has provoked public alarm. Fears have been expressed about the borings for the tube railways, the deep basements of modern buildings, the pumping of water from water-bearing strata, and the unceasing diggings that go on for repairs to the ordinary service mains. It is doubtful whether the mishaps can be traced to any one particular cause; but in built-up areas it would seem desirable that there should be a better knowledge of the underlying strata and water currents than is generally available. The piecemeal manner in which building work and road repairs are carried out certainly conduces to interference with subsoil water, which may have the detrimental results which have been lately witnessed.
The Mayor of Hastings gave an exceedingly thoughtful address to the Rotary Club last week on the subject of his town, and one would like to see the heads of other seaside resorts equally alive to the importance of preserving and extending the beauties and amenities of their district. Mr. Dymond’s statement that “as practical men we know that on the realisation of our dreams of a City Beautiful, the very life of our town as a health and pleasure resort depends” might be taken to heart in many other quarters. He went on to say that “every beautiful building and noble thoroughfare, every collection of dwellings that speaks of the comfort and well-being of the citizens, every open space laid out in the best way to minister to rest or recreation or pleasure, every beautiful remnant of an historic past, is an attraction
to our town. On the other hand, every unsightly open space or building, every pavement or street so narrow as to impede or be a danger to traffic, every collection of sordid dwellings, tends to repel. Our policy must be jealously to guard everything that is good, and to regulate future development so that the bad is bettered, and, what is still more important, new beauties are created. ” These are excellent aspirations, and we trust that the Mayor’s fellow citizens will back him up in the attempt to give effect to them. The Mayor went on to refer to recent building work in the town, praising one large shop building in which emphasis has been given to the support of the heavy superstructure and indicting another in which “architectural beauty has been sacrificed to what is mistakenly supposed to be commercial necessity, with results which are unfortunate. ” In domestic work, beyond a few houses, the Mayor found little to commend and regretted that some of the best sites are being utilised for the worst type.
Narrow streets and a narrow seafront seem to be two of the difficulties with which Hastings has to contend, and the Mayor, in his address, devoted a good deal of attention to the problem of traffic and the question of new streets “which will destroy nothing of artistic or historic interest in the Old Town. ” We are by no means certain, however, that the continued prosperity of every seaside place is secured by catering particularly for the demands of modern traffic. In Birmingham, last week, we were assured by two or three well-known citizens that they now used their motors solely for business purposes, the crowded state of the roads having deprived touring of any pleasure and endowed it with a considerable amount of risk. And one can foresee the time coming when the anxiety of the people on a holiday will be to get away from motor traffic and the not inconsiderable section of the motoring community who indulge their hobby selfishly and recklessly. In such case Hastings might find it advantageous to keep its old world aspect of narrow streets and narrow seafront by preserving them from the intrusion of motor cars and chars-a-bancs. Brighton has a magnificent seafront, but the fast motor traffic is becoming a serious nuisance and danger to the residents and visitors, and the Town Council is said to be considering the possibility of constructing some new thoroughfare, behind the Marine Parade, to which the through traffic can be restricted. It will probably be necessary at most seaside resorts and beauty spots to establish a zone into which motors, or other transport, will not be
The ARCHITECT & BUILDING NEWS
AUGUST 26, 1927
Proprietors: Gilbert Wood & Co., Ltd.
Managing Director: William L. Wood
Editorial, Publishing and Advertisement Offices:
Rolls House, 2 Breams Buildings, London, E. C. 4. Tel.: Holborn 5708 Registered Office: Imperial Buildings, Ludgate Circus, London, E. C. 4
Principal Contents
Notes and Comments..................................................... Page 335, 336 Competition Notes....................................................................... 336 Some New Manchester Buildings (Illustrations)..................... 337-346 Modern Practice: III. — Painting Asbestos Cement
Products.......................................................................... 347 Some Modern French Details (Illustrations).......................... 348-350 Professional Societies.................................................................. 350 New Fiats, Grosvenor Square, London (Illustrations)......... 351, 353 New Ways and Means (Illustrations)............................................. 352
New Needs and Modern Notions: VIII. (Illustrations)....... 354 A Concrete Garage at Swansea (Illustrations)............................ 356 London Building Notes............................................................... 358 The Week’s Building News......................................................... 360 Building Contracts Open............................................................. 362
Building Tenders.................................................................. 362, 366 Current Market Prices ................................................. 364, 366 Current Measured Rates................................................ 368, 370 Building Wages Grades................................................................................................................. 372
NOTES AND COMMENTS
It may be coincidence but, more probably, the abnormally wet season, that is the explanation of recent road subsidences, the number of which has certainly given some cause for alarm. Rather naturally, the sensational building collapse in Cornhill, and the discovery of the condition of the adjoining roadway, has attracted most attention; but since then there has been a road subsidence in Sherborne Lane close by, although the City officials scout the idea that the cause was other than a purely local one. We are informed, too, that excavations in connection with the repaving of Piccadilly revealed a cavity in one part which might have caused a collapse of the roadway in the near future. Manchester last week also weighed in with two road subsidences, and during the week-end Fleet Street became a scare area, although the trouble here seems to have been not subsidence but upheaval of the wood blocks through the wet. Road subsidences have not been uncommon events in the past; it is the crop of them that has taken place recently rather than the occurrence itself that has provoked public alarm. Fears have been expressed about the borings for the tube railways, the deep basements of modern buildings, the pumping of water from water-bearing strata, and the unceasing diggings that go on for repairs to the ordinary service mains. It is doubtful whether the mishaps can be traced to any one particular cause; but in built-up areas it would seem desirable that there should be a better knowledge of the underlying strata and water currents than is generally available. The piecemeal manner in which building work and road repairs are carried out certainly conduces to interference with subsoil water, which may have the detrimental results which have been lately witnessed.
The Mayor of Hastings gave an exceedingly thoughtful address to the Rotary Club last week on the subject of his town, and one would like to see the heads of other seaside resorts equally alive to the importance of preserving and extending the beauties and amenities of their district. Mr. Dymond’s statement that “as practical men we know that on the realisation of our dreams of a City Beautiful, the very life of our town as a health and pleasure resort depends” might be taken to heart in many other quarters. He went on to say that “every beautiful building and noble thoroughfare, every collection of dwellings that speaks of the comfort and well-being of the citizens, every open space laid out in the best way to minister to rest or recreation or pleasure, every beautiful remnant of an historic past, is an attraction
to our town. On the other hand, every unsightly open space or building, every pavement or street so narrow as to impede or be a danger to traffic, every collection of sordid dwellings, tends to repel. Our policy must be jealously to guard everything that is good, and to regulate future development so that the bad is bettered, and, what is still more important, new beauties are created. ” These are excellent aspirations, and we trust that the Mayor’s fellow citizens will back him up in the attempt to give effect to them. The Mayor went on to refer to recent building work in the town, praising one large shop building in which emphasis has been given to the support of the heavy superstructure and indicting another in which “architectural beauty has been sacrificed to what is mistakenly supposed to be commercial necessity, with results which are unfortunate. ” In domestic work, beyond a few houses, the Mayor found little to commend and regretted that some of the best sites are being utilised for the worst type.
Narrow streets and a narrow seafront seem to be two of the difficulties with which Hastings has to contend, and the Mayor, in his address, devoted a good deal of attention to the problem of traffic and the question of new streets “which will destroy nothing of artistic or historic interest in the Old Town. ” We are by no means certain, however, that the continued prosperity of every seaside place is secured by catering particularly for the demands of modern traffic. In Birmingham, last week, we were assured by two or three well-known citizens that they now used their motors solely for business purposes, the crowded state of the roads having deprived touring of any pleasure and endowed it with a considerable amount of risk. And one can foresee the time coming when the anxiety of the people on a holiday will be to get away from motor traffic and the not inconsiderable section of the motoring community who indulge their hobby selfishly and recklessly. In such case Hastings might find it advantageous to keep its old world aspect of narrow streets and narrow seafront by preserving them from the intrusion of motor cars and chars-a-bancs. Brighton has a magnificent seafront, but the fast motor traffic is becoming a serious nuisance and danger to the residents and visitors, and the Town Council is said to be considering the possibility of constructing some new thoroughfare, behind the Marine Parade, to which the through traffic can be restricted. It will probably be necessary at most seaside resorts and beauty spots to establish a zone into which motors, or other transport, will not be