Kolkata :
Jadavpur University has approached the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage for expert guidance in the mammoth restoration project that it has undertaken over Writers’ Buildings – the 236 year old seat of the state secretariat. At the moment JU architects are conducting a detailed survey on the condition of the building, preparing a layout of how the restoration process would progress and interiors would be re-organized once the work is over.
Objections were reportedly raised by the West Bengal Heritage Commission over the state PWD department’s decision to hand over the responsibility of restoration to JU and IIEST (formerly Besu) jointly. The Commission felt that a building of the rare stature of Writers’ Buildings should be handled by an agency whose expertise lies in restoring heritage institutions. The Commission felt that the architecture departments of neither JU nor IIEST had the required experience. However, belying such doubts the state PWD has gone ahead with its decision and has not interrupted the ongoing survey work that is being conducted by JU at the premises.
Intach has not only been formally invited by JU, talks have also happened between the national level heritage conservation agency and the PWD authorities over ways in which Intach would bring in its expertise in overseeing the project right from the drawing and testing stage now and also later during the execution. Most departments of the state government shifted out of Writers’ Buildings last October with the state secretariat shifted to Nabanna, so that the heritage building at Dalhousie can be restored. However, execution is yet to happen and the delay has raised several eyebrows.
“We must remember that Writer’s is no ordinary building and execution of the plan cannot happen immediately. We are conducting a series of tests on the structural status of the different portions of the building and the strength of its foundation. Once execution starts cracks should not develop in the portions that are relatively weak. Again, the building as we see it today, was not built all together; portions were added with time. Naturally the health of the building will also be somewhat heterogeneous,” said Madhumita Roy, head of JU’s architecture department, who is leading the project. She feels that the project report on how execution should be ready for submission to the state government by November. Once the state government approves it, execution should start immediately.
Confirming that she has tagged Intach in the project, Roy said, “I have closely followed the work that Intach has done in restoring institutional heritage e.g. Gwalior Monument, Princep Ghat, St John’s Church and Lalgola correctional home. I think it will be able to guide us well both on the methodology and progress.”
Intach state convenor, GM Kapur said that the main problem with Writers’ restoration is lack of original drawings which could guide the restoration team. “I am sure that the original drawings would exist in what was then known as the India Office library, a part of the British Library. We will write to them to see if they exist and then organize for copies so that they can be consulted.”
PWD officials said that JU experts are conducting the survey and the condition of the building. “Suggestions are invited from any consultancy or architectural firms as to how the restoration work could take place. All the suggestions will be discussed with the heritage commission following which work order of the actual work will be issued,” said a PWD official. Earlier, the demolition work of the extended portions was supposed top start off from this month.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kolkata / by Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey, TNN / July 10th, 2014