148 THE NEW UNION BUILDINGS. 



many respects the artistic climax and grand view-point, and some 

 45 feet above the tram-line on the Southern frontage, commands 

 not only the full view of the axial features in amphitheatre, lawn 

 and water-stretches, roadways, terraces and steps (and ultimately 

 piazza and gardens rich with statuary and typical products), but 

 beyond to the distant hills that stretch away from Groenkloof. 

 And, particularly when flooded with the splendour of South 

 Africa's high altitude spring-tide, the charm of the view from 

 this point, 4,565 feet above sea level, will indeed be exceptional. 



From this vestibule westwards extends the library, and east- 

 ward (covering an equivalent area), restaurant, Ministers' luncheon 

 room and accessories. 



The library, with its major dimension of 134 feet, and some 29 

 feet wide, and having a clear vertical space of 25 feet, with saucer 

 domes rising above, is enriched with teak-cased piers, galleries 

 with a series of curved balustradings of plaster finish, the varying 

 perspectives seen on either end, especially towards the setting of 

 the tempered sun, will, to my mind, make this room one of the 

 most effective scenes in the entire structure. 



The restaurant, while possessing much in common with the 

 library, will, by reason of its covered ends and sets of double 

 engaged teak columns, have its own distinctiveness ; and the same 

 applies to the Ministers' luncheon room, with its plain panel ceiling 

 and fireplace cove. 



On the ground floor are placed masses of offices, including a 

 post office, entered directly from the lower road level on the north, 

 and it would be unpardonable not to refer to the tea room on this 

 floor, a crypt-like chamber which is columned, vaulted and wall- 

 tiled on the lines of old Dutch work, with singular severity. 



As there was not the necessity for the interior of this central 

 portion above the ground floor to be broken up as elsewhere, and 

 height was essential, there is a consequent breadth of treatment 

 which means that its northern frontage holds the paramountcy In 

 external design. For the sake of this, it is to be regretted that 

 there is not more vantage ground to the north. 



Terminating this semi-circular portion at either end, and there- 

 by uniting it with the Eastern and Western blocks respectively, 

 are conference, reading, committee and other rooms. Each of 

 these possesses distinctive features, but it is impossible to fully 

 individualise all. 



The conference and reading rooms of circular form are each 

 50 feet in diameter and possess domed ceilings, whose crowns are 

 36 feet from the floor. In the former, with ionic-capped 

 columns of red granite, dais, alcoves, gallery and glazed and 

 grilled lights surmounting entablatured panelling with shields 

 and ribbed relief carving, a considerable play of both plan and 

 detailed treatment centres. 



The committee rooms, each measuring 44 feet by 25 feet, 

 occupy angles and are among the most satisfactory portions of the 

 external design, and generally materially contribute breadth to the 

 whole composition. Internally the effect of these rooms with 

 segmental end, pendentive groining, and walls broken with 



