Salient: An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 12, No. 2, March 16th, 1949.
"Victoria Can Show N.Z. How"
" Victoria Can Show N.Z. How"
In the trading of brains with other countries, New Zealand has a pretty uneven trade balance on the wrong side of the ledger. We did mark up something to our credit when E. A. Plishke came to New Zealand. In any place, an architect with a world reputation would be an asset. In this country of much building and few architects, he assumes major significance.
The 1947 A.G.M. decided unanimously that Plishke should be responsible for the planning of the new Students' Union Building. And so, when Salient wanted to find out just what was going to happen to all this money when it is finally raised, we knew that the only way to find out was to ask Plishke.
We managed to interview him in a coffee house which was about half as crowded as the Caf. at 5 p.m.—this fact brought home the urgency of having a place which can cater for the needs of students.
"A lot of thinking seems to have gone," he said, "into the gathering of money to build this for you. Into the form of the building; into the functions which it should serve, very little."
"Your building can be an answer to a very real problem in New Zealand universities—the lack of any social focus. At present, when you go up there, you go into the Cafeteria and get out as soon as you have finished eating; you go into the Library, but—ssh; you go into your common rooms, but where can you talk, relax?"
We saw what he meant. The men's common room at 5 p.m. isn't really suited to quiet discussion.
A new problem
"Now modern architecture is not for rich people only, as architecture has been in the past. In fact, the best examples of modern building are in public buildings. Here we are faced with a contemporary problem. Here we must provide a centre for young people. You can see that it must be answered in the idiom of modern architecture—using those materials, those building processes and those new aims in architecture which are suited to such a problem. It must be functional—design linked intimately with function. I don't mean by that 'utilitarian.' There's a great deal of difference."
"Well, what sort of a place do you think would satisfy this?" we asked.
"Remember that it must be a social focus, and provide for that side of life which is at present neglected. It won't be just enough to have facilities for sports and clubs. The whole atmosphere of the place must be such that discussion and, relaxed social intercourse can take place naturally."
Of cafeterias...
"First, let's take the Cafeteria. In our building, it must be an essential part of the function. It should have space, it should be a place where you can sit and talk—intact, the sort of place where you feel you want to sit. This would make it essential to the social life of the students. It is hardly that at present. You see how important the question of atmosphere will be. For the rest, I think there must be a flexible use of space. Your groups will not always be large, and a large room would often hamper the sort of feeling which it ought to have. Yet this same space must be able to be adapted to large meetings, talks, assemblies. It must have provision for the showing of films when you wish. Sometimes, a concert—recorded music, a quartet perhaps? Where does your debating club meet now?
We might have answered "In the middle of the props for the Drama Club's next show" but we refrained.
"You are very lucky with this," he said. "I have been over most of New Zealand and I have seen nowhere any place of this sort. Since this is a new problem, the answer can be entirely original; you see that there is no tradition to be tied to—we can create as we like."
... and things
"I saw down at Curious Cove how you like to get together, to listen to music, to discuss in informal groups. These things you have no place for at present: they are not part of the university life though the need is there. This building should also have a library—not of the style of the present one, but having books, say on international students' movements. There should be facilities for showing paintings, especially those of contemporary artists. If these things are not done at a university, where are they to be done? We can take it for granted that there will be areas for sports, for acting, and for all those other sorts of activities. But it is the informal social aim which is the important one."
A New Answer
"There is much danger in New Zealand where there is so much building for homes, and so little catering for the equally important communal needs. Here is a chance to show a lead, to do something new. We are not shackled by any tradition of design—why then we may go ahead and express creatively the essential idiom of modern thought. Most important to remember is that we cannot build like most of those I see around: where a Gothic exterior is wrapped around a space used for what? for shopping or for a factory. This is insincerity. Needless too, in a country which is young and has its own problems of climate and of culture. You up at your university do not wish to repeat this sort of thing, do you?"
We assured Mr. Plishke very fervently indeed that we did not wish to have our students' building looking like the . . . building or the . . . block (you can fill the names in yourself. And then we walked out into the after-work rush, about six inches we felt) above the pavement: feeling a distinct sense of elation that when the Building Fund Appeal had finally achieved its aim, the thinking would be passed over to E. A. Plishke, one of the very few men in this country who thinks deeply enough about architecture to be able to plan a genuine students' building!