COMPETITION - Journal of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects

OR the last few months the newspapers have given publicity to many rumours in connection with the competition for laying out the site of the Federal Capital. These rumours have been mostly contradicted, and the sum total of positive knowledge is infinitesimal. Complaints are made that the Insti- tutes of Architects in Australia do not insist upon the conditions of competition being drawn up with perfect fairness, and seek to obtain an increase both in the number and the amounts of the prizes. To come to facts, however, the Royal Victorian Insti- tute of Architects a year ago made application by interview with Col. Miller, the secretary to the Minister of Home Affairs, that the draft conditions of competition should be submitted to the professional bodies of architects, engineers and surveyors throughout Australia. How this was to be carried out was by no means clear, because it was obviously difficult to obtain the views of probably 15 different institutes in all parts of the Common-

wealth within a reasonable period. The R.V.I.A. representative pointed out that, judging by the past, and remembering the harmonious working together of the Architects, Engineers and Surveyors in Victoria some nine years ago, when the famous joint congress to consider the Federal capital question was held, he thought there would be no difficulty in taking united action in Victoria. Being questioned as to the likelihood of similar united action in the other States, he thought the same harmonious conditions existed there. He had no doubt, however, that his Institute would lay the position before the Institute of Architects

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in N.S.W. and obtain its opinion. By direction of the Council of the R.V.I.A. the Institute in N.S.W. was frankly informed of the position, and communicated with the Institute of Engineers and the Institute of Surveyors in N.S.W., receiving in reply from these bodies the assurance that they would both work with the Architects of that State. This result was conveyed to the R.V.I.A. In the meantime the Victorian Institute of Surveyors had replied favourably to the R.V.I.A.'s desire for united action in Victoria, whilst from the Victorian Institute of Engineers a verbal assurance in the same direction had been given, together with, a promise that in two or three weeks the assurance would be forwarded in writing. Matters remained quiescent until 15th February last, when the Hon. Sec. of the R.V.I.A. (Mr. Little) learning that the conditions of the competition were to be laid before the Cabinet on the following day, arranged that a deputation of the emergency committee of his Council should interview the Minister before the Cabinet meeting. Within an hour or so after the interview the President of the R.V.I.A. (Mr. Anketell Henderson) drafted a memorandum of the proceedings, and sent three copies to each State in the Commonwealth for the Architects, Engineers and Surveyors respectively. The document bears on its face the hasty preparation involved, and, as it so ably expresses all that took place, we give it in full below :—

THE ROYAL VICTORIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS.

57-59 Swanston Street, Melbourne, 16th February, 1911.

Yesterday afternoon, our Honorary Secretary heard that the conditions for the competition for the designing of the Fed- eral City were to come before the Cabinet to-day, and as we had no reply to our repeated request to have an opportunity of advising as to the conditions, we arranged for a deputation to the Minister at half-past nine this morning. We had not time to communicate with other Institutes, and the deputation con- sisted of our President-elect (Mr. Gerard Wight), Hon Secre- tary (Mr. John Little), and myself.

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We pointed out to the Minister that having large experience in competitions, we wished to help in such an important national matter, and advise as to conditions, so as to obtain a large competition, and a final fair result. We pointed out that W we usually drafted the conditions for large competitions, and have some of this work in hand at present.

The Minister expressed himself as only too pleased to ,avail himself of our assistance. We pointed out that in such a competition, the Institutes of Engineers and Surveyors would also like to advise. We raised the question as to Government engineering and survey officers competing, and the Minister thought that such competitions would be of material assistance.

We then pointed out the necessity, under such circumstances, of a strong outside hoard of assessors, so as not to leave entirely to Government officers the selection of the designs.

We gave as an unfortunate instance, the railway station competition in Melbourne, where Government officers competed and Government officers made a selection.

The Secretary, Col. Miller, produced the latest copy of the R.I.B.A. conditions, in which were recommended the naming of the assessors in the conditions of competition. We pointed out that in our smaller communities it was difficult to know before- hand who might, or might not, compete, and we suggested that the selection of assessors should be left until afterwards. The question was fully discussed, and as time was an essence of the contract, I guaranteed that so far as the Architects' Institutes were concerned, their suggestions as to the competition should be in the hands of the Minister within a month, and, if necessary, I thought a meeting of the representatives of the various Institutes of Architects, Engineers, and Surveyors, might be held in Melbourne within that time, so that the points of difference could be settled by accredited representatives.

As there is only a month to work in, will you kindly see your Executive, and ascertain whether a conference can be arranged in Melbourne. I named Melbourne because in Mel- bourne we shall have Col. Miller to confer with, if necessary,

and further, a deputation to the Minister could be more easily arranged.

Portions of the conditions were read to us, and the plans were shown, but, until we saw all the conditions, we were unable to arrive at an estimate, or to have an idea of the work required to be done, or even to advise as to what additions to the premiums we considered necessary. We did, however, indicate that, in our opinion, there should be more premiums, and of higher value.

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We pointed out that the premiums would be the only award to successful competitors, there being no further commissions in the way of carrying out the works, and further, we pointed out that the ultimate plan would probably be a compromise between those selected, so that no one person would be able to claim the entire credit of laying out the city. Inasmuch, therefore, as the Federal Government would have a right to use combina- tions of the different plans we thought increased premiums would be justified.

If such a conference takes place, your representative would probably first like to obtain the views of your Institute, as of necessity the majority at the place of conference must rule.

I have adopted this means of getting over the difficulty, because the Minister wishes finality as to our views in as short a time as possible, and the representations of the various Insti- tutes in writing, if they differed, would only weaken our case.

I enclose two additional copies of this letter, and ask you to forward them immediately to any Institute of Engineers or of Surveyers in your city, as they are also interested with the Architects in this subject of town planning, and we have no time to find their addresses.

If possible we will have forwarded to each of them a copy of the conditions and plan, but if we cannot get so many copies of conditions and plans, we will have one forwarded to you, and the other Institutes in your city will have to use them jointly with your Institute.

I am sending a copy of this to Col. Miller, and will advise you if he makes any suggestions in furtherance of those expressed herein.

Yours faithfully,

ANKETELL HENDERSON, President, Royal Victorian Institute of Architects.

This memorandum stirred matters up throughout Australia, and each Institute of Architects has expressed its desire for a conference at an early date. The "month" referred to in the memorandum has expired, and the conditions of competition have not been sent to the Institutes, although a letter was sent by the R.V.I.A. to Col. Miller early in March, reminding him that the conditions had not yet been received. The Institutes in Australia are waiting, and the delay is entirely on the part of the Department of Home Affairs, or of the Attorney-General, to

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whom we have heard the conditions have been sent for approval.

Our brethren in the sister States may rest assured that as soon as we receive the conditions of competition copies will be sent to each State Institute to lay before its members, and the accredited delegates to the proposed conference will then be able to

express the views of the Architects throughout Australia with clearness and therefore with force. The Victorian Institute of Engineers has just published a decision of its Council disclaiming

"any sympathy with the request of the R.V.I.A. that the draft conditions of competition should be first submitted for the re- vision of that and kindred bodies," and "although in no way seek- ing to be consulted in this matter, the Institute (of Engineers) is ready and willing, if invited to do so, to render any assistance to the Minister in any direction and in any manner which he may deem expedient." The Institute of Engineers "has knowledge that the competition was to be in regard to the preliminary work of laying out--not only the capital site, but the whole territory of goo square miles." In the "memorandum" of the Architects every known fact was included, and at the interview with the Minister the contour plan showed the capital site—an area of about 12 square miles—in deep colour, and the deputation was assured that this was the full extent to be dealt with in the competitions. How, then, had the Engineers' Institute knowledge that the whole territory of goo square miles was to be dealt with as a capital site? If it had that "knowledge," why did it not impart the information to the Architects, who so freely and immediately told all the Australian Institutes all they knew?

From this "knowledge" the engineers assert that the work of the competition is chiefly "engineering." This deduction we are not prepared to admit, and the contour plan being already made, we claim that all the ground is now prepared for the advent of the Architect—the only man competent to deal with the æsthetic problems of laying out a city. Architecture and engineering are not divorced, and many architects practise engineering as well as architecture. For instance the Presidents of the Institute of Ar- chitects for last year and for this year also, are both masters of civil engineering of Melbourne University, and they, and we, are [quite

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quite competent to deal with the engineering problems involved in laying out the capital site.

Concerning the conditions, the Minister of Home Affairs gave his assurance that the conditions would be submitted to the architects, who, when they, get them, will frankly lay them before both the engineers and surveyors throughout Australia, and strive to obtain conclusions which will meet with unanimous approval.

The architects have been unreasonably blamed for the Government delay in issuing the conditions. Our own experience for many years past is that successive Governments have not been in ear- nest over this capital site question, and have simply trifled with the matter. The policy of the past may be the policy of the future. When the conditions come to hand, if they are fair and equitable, no one will be more glad than we. If they can be improved, the Institute of Architects, which draws up most of the conditions for the larger competitions throughout the State, and consists of men who know what fair conditions are, or should be, will place its experience freely at the service of the Com- monwealth. Neither engineers, surveyors, nor the professional officers in Government service have the extensive knowledge of the conduct of competitions which architects possess. The conference to be called, either by the Government or by the State Institutes, will consist, no doubt, of men well qualified, and we trust that the result will be that the conditions ultimately adopted will be so fair and generous as to encourage men in all parts of the world to send us of their best in the direction of city planning.

[In our next issue we hope to describe to the architectural world some developments which are likely to take place before long concerning the conditions of the competition for the federal capital site. We regret, however, that we cannot allude to them in the present number.]

T HE BUILDING STONES

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