Who doesn’t love Chennai? From wide avenues lined with buildings that over 100 years old, to a swanky IT corridor and everything in between, the city’s buildings are landmarks in time, each telling a story of its own. This city has something for everyone, even for its newest members. Chennai, like any other Indian city that has lived to tell the tale of a time in a versatile mix of architectural styles from 7th century temples that stand tall with its sculptural glory, to posh towers clothed in glass and steel. As the city celebrates its birthday, here’s a walk down the memory lane to see what makes the city what it is today.
While Chennai is the city we all love, Madras shall hold a special place in the memories of people. The city is dotted by several buildings that act as placemarks in time, in the narration of Chennai’s Story.
In recent days, attempts are made to revive the history by young students and urban designers by taking active participation in conservation attempts, heritage walks, etc. Their efforts try to show a slice of history to the public which at this age, has all but forgotten the beauty of the older and richer Madras.
The architecture of politics
The inception of the city is marked by the construction of Fort St. George in 1640 by Francis Day, which served as the seat of throne and continues to serve the purpose even today. It is one of the oldest functioning forts in the country. It is around this, that the city unravelled itself over the course four centuries. As the city basks in the glory of its growth, fragments of its growth still stand in ruins.
The Chepauk Palace at close proximity to the fort stands in a state of neglect, in bad need for attention. This palace is an indispensable part of the city’s history. It is also one of the first few Indo- Saracenic buildings as designed by Paul Benfield, the style which became the face of Colonial architecture in India, especially in Madras.
Several important government buildings in Madras with its gaining prominence in colonial India are built around fort St. George such as the high court complex, parry’s corner, other commercial buildings. These, even in passing, reminds us of the time which was rich in culture and unparalleled architectural beauty.
The area of George Town is still the CBD of Chennai. The narrow lanes and jam-packed heritage buildings which have been retrofitted with modern equipment blends seamlessly in the modern Madras and are still in use. To know in detail about these buildings, one can attend one of the heritage walks organised almost every week by various interest groups such as students, historians and urban designers to listen to the story of the buildings and be amused by how well the dots connect.
Conservation- the need of the hour
While several heritage buildings are under use, lack of awareness can cause harm to the integrity of the building. At the same time, buildings not under use had to be put to use by using it for the same purpose as designed or assigned a different purpose.
The best way to conserve heritage is to put it to use. Several models of adaptive reuse across the globe helps keep these memoirs of history intact by providing it a purpose to keep going while holding on to its cultural values without overly disturbing the original foundation. One of the best examples is, Tate modern, London. Once, it was a power station. Now, it houses the United Kingdom’s national collection of British art and international modern and contemporary art.
In Madras, the Madras Literary Society in the DPI campus is a classic example of conservation done right. The library houses over 50000 books, several of which are rare or unique. The library was in a state of severe neglect. Revival by creating awareness and informed restoration has worked its wonder on the library. Thirupurasundari Sevvel, a conservation architect, a volunteer at the library and a trained book conservationist, is helping the library regain its glory as a hub of intellect in the city.
Attempts to create awareness about the library has made people aware of not just the books that the library holds, but also its distinctive architectural style that tells about Madras’ connection with North Indian Architecture, that the DPI campus once could be reached by boat, and that the public has a right over their heritage. This is just one of the several buildings that could have a powerful role to play in the way heritage is seen and experienced.
As the city celebrates its birthday on Aug 22, stepping further into a global style that paints the world in one shade, let us remember to care for our roots, for our identity and what has and will define us.