152 THE NEW UNION BUILDINGS. 



columns appear the height of the two upper stories, and certainly 

 seem somewhat, at first glance, out of harmony with the inter- 

 vening architecture. But it is soon realised that reliance is 

 placed upon these extreme features to give buttressing to the 

 entire design. Resting at either transverse end on double-storied 

 masses of a keep-like nature, which have a touch, and only a 

 touch, of the Later Renaissance, these groups of columns, 23 

 feet high and 2 feet 7^ inches in diameter, double-rowed at 

 angles, and each forming a pavilion 35 feet wide to a chamber of 

 a Minister of State, assert, with almost imperious audacity, a 

 sternness to an expression of architecture in which otherwise 

 there is much vivacity, and even some playfulness. 



Piercing the lower masses are bold archways with vaulted 

 passages that give access to the terraces, and beneath are stair- 

 cases that lead to the tram road which skirts the base of the 

 terraced public way. 



^sthetically, I think the supreme note of the base and super- 

 structure is that of magnitude, in the sense not necessarily in- 

 herent by reason of bulk (though this is present in large degree), 

 but contributed to by the cultured disposition of the various parts 

 I have mentioned. 



Then, several matters of detail have played their part to- 

 wards this note, such as the battered face to the granite base, 

 the method of the piercing of that base for the main entrance, 

 the graduating of the wall-jointing ; allied with the relative few- 

 ness of continuous horizontal members, the general curvature to 

 sundry angular features, and by no means least, the sense of 

 scale which the balconettes thrown out here and there unquestion- 

 ably give. 



The next influential note I would place is that of texture. 

 Wisely, or unwisely, the designer determined to deal in broad 

 masses favouring horizontality, rather than that verticality which 

 the site seemed to suggest, and reducing projecting features to a 

 minimum. All this line of action of course means that over 

 such an immense surface area definite shadows will bear but a 

 small proportion to the light. This being so, a far fuller demand 

 is made in the direction of texture — the variation of surface- 

 treatment — which will lend itself readily to the influences of the 

 sky. The demand is a great one, particularly upon the north 

 elevation, but I think from all points of view the various front- 

 ages will succeed in meeting the accepted canons of criticism 

 as to this note. And Its success wiU owe much, as texture ever 

 does, to the nature of the various materials, the character of 

 workmanship, and the method of their setting. 



I have stated that granite enters into the comnosltion, and 

 this it does to the extent of 14,000 cubic feet. In blocks of 

 heroic dimensions, grey granite forms the plinth, extending 

 generally to the springing of the lower arches and Including the 

 arches of the respective pavilions. Balmoral freestone forms the 

 superstructure, and from the top of the granite to the underside 

 of the plinth of the terrace's balustrading, and to the set-off level 

 under the ground floor window sills of pavilion ends the work 



