world news
Architects Hit by Curb on Building Work
DRASTIC effects on the architectural profession arising out of the UK Government's curb on building work, are re- vealed in a statement issued recently by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
This shows that an estimated £546 million-worth of projects which was in hand in architects' offices in July was abandoned or postponed between July 27, the date of the Chancellor's restrictions on construction, and September 18. The estimate is based on a RIBA inquiry to architectural firms.
Total value of work in hand is not known, says the RIBA, but the estimate represents about a quarter of all work newly commissioned by private architects during 1964. The two months of August and September show work stopped to have been some ten times the normal quarterly rate.
The majority of the work affected. 87 per cent. of the total, represented jobs on which the architect had been instructed to do no further work, and was thus treated as postponed. Much of the postponed work. says the Institute will be resumed, but the costs of in- terruption are likely to be considerable to both architect and client.
Tallest Building on the Pacific Coast
PLANS to construct the tallest building on the United States' Pacific coast as its world headquarters in San Francisco have been announced by Bank of America. A 52-storey, 750 ft. high tower, faced in granite, is due to be completed by early 1969 in the city's financial district.
New Bank of America
Unusual features of the building will include the use of bronze-tinted bay windows on all sides of the tower, and ! series of irregular set- backs on the upper floors which according to the architects. "will recall the towering rock formations found in Cali- fornia's High Sierra."
A spacious plaza, 215 ft. by 140 ft., will be located in front of the tower. The building will contain 1,900,000 sq. ft. of floor area and will include parking
for about 500 cars.
Architects for the de- sign of the building are Wurster. Bernardi and Emmons, of San Fran- cisco: Pietro Belluschi, Dean of the School of Architecture at Mas- sachusetts Institute of Technology: and Emery Roth and Sons, New York.
Far East Architect & Builder December, 1965
An aerial view of the Hollings College for the Foods and Fashions Industries, built at Rusholme, a suburb of Manchester, UK. The floors of the multi-storey structure, which has quickly earned the local nickname of "the toast-rack," are suspended from the inverted V-frame. Plans were prepared by the office of the Manchester City Architect, Mr. S. G. Besant Roberts.
Work Starts on International House in Sydney
WORK has just begun at the University of Sydney on the construction of International House. a new residential block for overseas students with an adjoining social and study centre.
Accommodation for 150 students will be provided in an eight-storey reinforced concrete framed rectangular block. Joined to this by a two-storey link will be a three- storey rotunda containing common rooms. dining rooms.
Model of International House. Sydney University
games rooms and a library. pleted by the end of next year.
Architects are
The project should be com-
Bunning and Madden: consulting structural engineers. Macdonald. Wagner and Priddle: and consulting mechanical engineers, Julius, Poole and Gibson.
Europe's First Three-Level Freeway Crossing
THE first three-level freeway intersection in Europe is to be built east of Halsingborg. South Sweden. The inter- section, which will connect the Halsingborg-Stockholm and Malmo-Gothenburg motorways, is expected to be com- pleted in 1967 at a cost of about US$3,000,000.
Traffic will cross the intersection on bridges built on three levels. From the top level to the on and off ramps. there is a difference in elevation of 15-16 metres. The driver will be able to change from one motorway to an- other without loss of speed.
The off ramps have a radius of 700 metres, allowing
45