No_12_December_1969 — Page 11

world news

Circular tower hotel in Sydney

Sydney's newest international hotel is a circular tower rising 18 storeys above ground.

The A$2,500,000 Gazebo Hotel at Elizabeth Bay was erected at the rate of a floor a week. Ex-

Gazebo Hotel, Sydney

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tensive use of precast concrete helped to cut the construction time.

The hotel gives the city's changing skyline its second circular tower. The other is the 50-storey Australia Square Tower. Architects for the hotel are Design & Construction Consultants, Pty. Competition for parliamentary building

Many Commonwealth architects are expected to enter a competition to design a new British Par- liamentary building near the Palace of Westminster, London, which accommodates the House of Lords and Commons. The competition, conducted by the Ministry of Public Building and Works in associa- tion with the Royal Institute of British Architects, is due to be launched this month.

The main purpose is to provide adequate office accommodation for M.P.s in 450 sound-proof rooms with adjacent space for their secretaries in an annexe in Bridge Street opposite the famous Big Ben clock tower. A panel of assessors has been set up under the chairmanship of a former president of the RIBA, Sir Robert Matthew with representatives of Australia and Canada.

To cope with the largest number of entries from all parts of the Commonwealth, the competi- tion will be run in two stages. Entrants will first be required to indicate their solutions in general terms and the best eight to 12 will be chosen to develop their designs in detail for the final selection.

In a House of Commons debate on the new buildings earlier this year, the Lord President of the Council, Mr. Fred Peart, said the competition was likely to attract great interest. It would afford an opportunity for younger and less well-known architects to display their talents. A committee has also recommended that an assembly hall for 250 people should be provided with simultaneous tran- slation facilities which would have a separate en- trance and could be let to outside organisations.

For the recreation of M.P.s and the Parlia- mentary staff it is suggested there should be a swimming pool, gymnasium, squash and badmin- ton courts, billiard tables, and a waiting room for M.P.s families as well as a members' lounge. An area of 500,000 square feet is suggested for a Com- mons refreshment department and 3,500 square feet for a library extension with facilities for visit- ing research workers.

Constructa 1970 opening in January

More than 1,000 firms from 17 nations will take part in the Constructa 1970 Exhibition which opens at the Hanover Fair site, West Germany, on January 24. Their products will be displayed in eight halls with a total floor area of 115,000 sq.

metres.

The exhibition is being divided into groups to make specific interests easier to locate. These groups include: Structural, prefabricated and framed construction; Preservation of Buildings, construction chemistry and physics; Fitting-out and interior work; Utilities and services; and Out- door and special purpose equipment.

Also participating are architects' and engineers' associations, industry associations, financing insti- tutions and publishing houses.

Auckland Bridge extension open

The Japanese firm, Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., has completed the extension work of the Auckland Bridge, New Zealand.

The bridge, built in 1959, is a 1,100-metre long structure linking Auckland City and Northcote. Its extension by the addition of an 11-metre wide box girder bridge on either side was started in 1966. Traffic lanes have been increased from four to eight.

Far East BUILDER, December 1969

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