Chennai: In an effort to document the heritage buildings in the city, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has roped in seven architects to study 192 sites listed in the Justice E Padmanaban Committee Report. Around 30 structures are given to each expert for the project.
Based on the amount quoted and the expert’s plan, the architects were shortlisted and selected.
Officials from CMDA stated that this was the third phase of the project, while the feedback from the technical advisory committee on the report of phase one that concluded in 2017 is awaited and the second phase is under way.
In all, 164 and 100 buildings were documented in the first and second phase. The second phase was granted to McGAN’s Ooty School of Architecture, and the reports are under scrutiny.
Speaking to ‘News Today‘ about the project, a CMDA official said, “The architects visit the site, take photographs, collect details explaining the historical importance, study the architectural elements and cover the interior and exterior features of the buildings through pictorial representation.”
One of the architects, IIT-Madras’ research wing, Centre for Urbanization, Buildings and Environment (CUBE) general manager (Urban Planning), Amita Gupta, said, “The documentation is in four parts – We would be taking the record of the buildings in terms of location, photographing the structures and also collection of historical photographs. In the next phase, the history of the structure is documented where the time of construction, trends in terms of ownership, usage of the building that has been put to in the past and knowing the chronological events.”
Amita added that the architectural aspect is also determined by identifying the types of architecture, interior and exterior of the buildings.
“However, we will not be able to assess the interiors if it is inaccessible. Through literary sources, we also plan to get the original drawings. There will be visual assessment of the structure. The third aspect is knowing the cultural importance which involves speaking to historians and people living in the vicinity,” said the architect.
A time-frame of three months is allotted to the architects to document the sites and the report would be submitted to the committee which scrutinises the findings.
“With the study, the board gives recommendation after classifying the buildings into three categories: protection; renovation; demolition if the building is in a decaying stage. The proposition is then sent to the Housing and Urban Development Department for sanction for the next course of action,” added the official.
“We have formed the team and will begin the assessment of the 10 structures given to us, in a few days,” stated Amita Gupta.
| SOME OF THE BUILDINGS |
| Royapuram Clock Tower Elliot’s Beach Old Jail Kal Mandapam Parasurama Lingeshwar Temple Main building of Loyola College Regional Meteorological Centre |