Documentation Book

Building Bengaluru :
Reimagining Urban
Built Heritage
Ameeshi Goenka
401 Semester 7
Faculty - Vidhu Gandhi
Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology
Note: This project is an introduction to heritage conservation and how one IDENTIFIES and ASSESSES
what is of “HERITAGE VALUE”.
Disclaimer: “This is a declaration that the information contained within this report is accurate, and
has been well researched, unless explicitly stated.”

Contents
Project Brief 1
Seminar 1 3
- Abstract 5
- The Show Must Go On 7
- Documentation 15
Seminar 2 19
- Abstract 21
- Assessing the Heritage Signficance of Mayo Hall 23
- Documentation 29
Seminar 3 33
- Abstract 35
- Lakshmi Nivas 37
- Documentation 56

Project Brief
Name of the project:
Building Bengaluru - Reimagining Urban Built Heritage
Aims:
1. Understanding heritage as a concept, understanding the criteria which is used to
determine if a building or a structure has heritage value.
2. Finding large or small private or public buildings, or old houses, temples, churches,
mosques, mandapas or even parks which have historical, architectural or social
importance.
3. Documenting the history and physical condition of the buildings.
4. Proposing what can be done with the building or structure.
Assessment:
The assessment process for this project, which follows the Seminar structure for projects, has
been divided into 3 distinct parts, each of them fulfilling a specific aim in the overall structure of
the project.
While each Seminar for this project has been designed as a stand-alone assessment, with
each Seminar not necessarily building up to the final Seminar – in other words the deliverables
from each Seminar are distinctive – there is continuity to the build-up in the knowledge base
regarding heritage conservation.
Brief
Building Bengaluru: Reimagining Urban Built Heritage
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
Srishti Institute of Art, Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 1 --------

Course Abstract
As provided by the faculty, Vidhu Gandhi.
Aim of course being fulfilled-
Understanding built heritage as a concept and the criteria which are used to determine if a
building or a structure has heritage value or not.
It involves writing a research paper which examines the issues and concerns that underlie the
assessment of heritage identification.
The seminar should be a research paper of 1,500 -1,700 words.
Topic- Heritage Significance
Take a building, site or structure from Bangalore or anywhere in India and explore why a
particular building or site has been or should be listed as heritage.
This paper will be a detailed examination of how a site/building is listed and how the criteria of
selection is applied to the listing/ or not of a site. Criteria of selection as determined by
INTACH and by CPWD for this study needs to be adopted.
Abstract
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 5 --------

The Show Must Go On
Introduction
In this paper, the main subject of discussion is two colonial bungalows in Bangalore which
should be listed as heritage properties. Heritage is the value we place in objects and ideas
that have been passed down for generations. The paper will describe in depth the significance
behind their conservation. The bungalows will be viewed from a historical perspective; their
current situations will be examined, and how they pass the selection criteria for heritage sites.
The application of the principle of adaptive reuse, i.e. the renovation and reuse of pre-existing
structures for new purposes, will also be discussed. In the case of the south bungalow, it has
been converted from an abandoned property into an office space, while retaining the integrity
of the structure and its heritage.
Body
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) lists three key criteria for the listing of a
heritage building as:
• Historical Significance- The importance of a property to the history, architecture, or
culture of a community, region or nation.
• Historical Integrity- The authenticity of a property’s historical identity.
• Historical Context- The information about historic trends and properties grouped by
themes in the history of a community, region or nation. (Bhawan, 2013)
In examining adaptive reuse, two articles have been referred to, first one is written by
Jay Haymond, ‘Adaptive Reuse of Old Buildings for Archives’ and the second by Gillian Darley,
‘Conservation in the Inner City: Old buildings, New Jobs?’. In the article written by Haymond,
he describes the entire scenario of the Utah State Historical Society’s moving its archive
facility to the renovated Rio Grande depot. Due to its historical presence, location within the
state capital city, and its potential for flexible reuse the depot was selected to be the site for the
official functioning of the USHS. The renovation cost for the depot was subsidized by the
Federal Government. The renovation was performed in a manner such that, it retained the
original fabric of the structure, thus preserving its integrity. (Haymond, 1984) The article by
Darley covers the case of the Nottingham Lace Market, first industrial area in the United
Kingdom to be nominated as a Town Scheme, is recognized as an Outstanding Conservation
Area. The site was eligible to use the government money, thus having access to immense
sources of financial. The city council attempted to attract small scale businesses, to utilize the
purpose built Victorian flatted factories. Its status as an architecturally, and historically,
important district opened up avenues of finance, lifting a plague which was compounded by
economic recessions, and war damage. The warehouses remain used the way they were
intended to be, but in one case, the conversion to flats is planned. The Midland Gallery, which
includes six workshops, is an example of another form of reuse. (Darley, 1978)
The Show Must Go On
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
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The bungalows in question, built during the Colonial period, are located on Museum Road,
opposite the Museum Inn hotel in Bangalore city. The Colonial Period in Bangalore, India
extended from 1791 to1947 when the Bangalore Cantonment was merged with the rest of
Bangalore City. The bungalows lie opposite each other, north and south respectively. The
south bungalow has implemented the technique of adaptive reuse, and is, today, a fully
functioning office. The north bungalow has been locked down, and left abandoned, for several
years. The bungalows that look like two individual structures are actually four individual
houses. Two houses share the same interior wall and structure of a bungalow, and both the
bungalows along with the cottage in the far west share the same physical boundary.
The bungalows have no records indicating the original owners of the property. It can be
speculated that the designs are of a single architect, built for a single family. They are Victorian
period erections (1837-1901), as suggested by the gable roof, and finial ornamentation, with
Tudor influences. The symmetrical architecture and fort-like parapets suggest the Tudor
influence. In conversation with Sushmita Sen, an employee at Anand and Associates, it was
gathered that both bungalows are owned by Mr. V. V. Pravindra and family, and were looked
after by a caretaker. Around one and a half years ago, Mr. Pravindra occupied the south
bungalow, belonging to his brother, to set up an Interior Design and Architecture firm namely,
Anand and Associates – Architecture Interior Design and Environmental Consultancy. When
he acquired control, the site was in the same state as the abandoned bungalow. After three
months of renovation, the bungalow was converted into an office space in 2014.
Mr. V. V. Pravindra’s decision of using his brother’s abandoned property as a fully functioning
office space is a living example of adaptive reuse. In the conversation with Sushmita Sen, it
was said that Mr. Pravindra introduced a door in the common wall shared by the two houses,
thus increasing his office area. Additionally he has retained the flooring, and wooden stair-
case and most of the woodwork, doors, windows, awnings, have been restored. Door frames,
fan, and light fixtures have been added. Today, the bungalow is a spacious, well lit, airy office
space. Living and dining areas have been converted into reception areas on the ground floor;
Living areas on the first floor are now work stations, the master bedroom is now a conference
room and smaller rooms are now used as an accounts room, and senior architect’s room. The
landscaping outside the south bungalow was also completely redone.
The south bungalow is important aesthetically, because the work done to it in terms of
adaptive reuse has been carried out in a very sensitive manner. The conservation methods
employed for this bungalow has hardly touched any of its fabric i.e., it was such that it retained
most of the original materials used for construction. Its authenticity has been retained, thus, its
integrity cannot be questioned. Similar work has been done by the Utah State Historical
Society on the Rio Grand depot. The renovation of the north bungalow was self-funded by
Mr. Pravindra which turned out quite expensive, he personally hired specialists to carry out the
tasks, whereas the renovation cost for the depot was taken care of by the government which
was the same case in the Nottingham Lace Market. (Haymond, 1982) Since the south bunga-
low has been adapted and reused as an office space today, it has opened up job opportunities
for the people working there and others to work in a private firm. The same principle’s followed
by the city council of Nottingham wherein the area was adapted into present day context to
The Show Must Go On
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 8 --------

to allow for space availability to encourage the growth of small scale industries and office
spaces. (Darley, 1978) . Having examined a few cases, one can suggest that the abandoned
north bungalow also has great potential to adopt adaptive reuse. The north bungalow and the
cottage behind are in desperate need of preservation as they will soon lose their identity and
cultural and aesthetic values with every passing generation. Based on a street scape analysis
of Museum Road, which must have had many more old colonial buildings, no longer exist. One
can say that the bungalows in question are important pieces of local heritage and need to be
conserved as they are the only remaining pieces of residential architecture built by the British
in the one kilometer radius of this building. Many newer developments have taken over and
today, these bungalows are surrounded by restaurants, hotels, modern buildings, construction
sites and heavy traffic. The Victorian Stone buildings are prime examples of architecture of
their period, in the middle of the city; one bungalow is full of activities adapted to present day
while the other is left neglected by its owners and the pedestrians.
Conclusion
The bungalows represent a part of Bangalore Cantonment’s history. They are excellent
examples of Tudor influences on Victorian Architecture, having survived for approximately
175 years. The technique of adaptive reuse has been applied to the south bungalow by
Mr. Pravindra, who has preserved the building’s skeletal structure, maintaining its historical
integrity. It has now been sensitively renovated, to fit in the present day context, and houses
an Interior Design and Architecture firm. The north bungalow, however, remains in a state of
disrepair, with its integrity degrading by the day. Both of these houses are significant, as they
are among the few surviving architectural pieces of Bangalore’s Colonial era. This significance
is forgotten by the citizens of the city, and thus, the bungalows are losing their historical
identity. Based on the above discussions and case studies, in order to revive the identity of the
area, it is vital that the north bungalow be conserved, and the tool of adaptive reuse be
employed so that it fits in to the current context. This conservation would aid the preservation
of Bangalore’s colonial history for the coming generations.
References
Oxford Dictionaries. August 26, 2015. Definition of the term “heritage” from: http://www.oxford-
dictionaries.com/definition/english/heritage, Accessed August 20. 2015.
Merriam Webster. August 25, 2015. Definition of the term “Adaptive Reuse” from:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adaptive%20reuse.
Bhawan, Nirman. July 2013. Handbook of Conservation of Heritage Buildings. Central Public
Works Department. http://cpwd.gov.in/Publication/ConservationHertBuildings.pdf
Haymond, Jay. 1982. “Adaptive Reuse of Old Buildings for Archives.” “The American Archivist.”
45 No.3:11-18. Accessed August 20. 2015.
The Show Must Go On
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 9 --------

Darley, Gillian. 1978. “ Conservation in the Inner City: Old Buildings, New Jobs?”“Built Environ-
ment.” 4 No.3:213-221. Accessed August 24. 2015.
Wikipedia. August 18, 2015. “Bangalore Cantonment.” Last modified July 17, 2015.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangalore_Cantonment, Accessed August 20. 2015.
The Gallery
Figure 1: Present day location of the bungalows.
Figure 2: The South Bungalow that has adapted to its present day context.
The Show Must Go On
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
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Figure 3: The private property that is left abandoned. The North Bungalow.
Figure 4: The cottage behind the bungalows.
The Show Must Go On
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 11 --------

Figure 5: The physical structure of the bungalow that’s been adapted and reused to present
day scenario.
Figure 6: Support for the fans and lights added.
The Show Must Go On
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 12 --------

Figure 7: Retained flooring and wooden staircase (polished and treated).
Figure 8: The back view of the Unused North Bungalow.
The Show Must Go On
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 13 --------

Figure 9: The developments on the street in front of the Bungalows.
Figure 10: The street leading to the site.
The Show Must Go On
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 14 --------

Documentation
Context and Background
The context in this case is heritage conservation as studied through the city of Bangalore.
The bungalows, the subject of the paper, built during the Colonial period, are located on
Museum Road, opposite the Museum Inn hotel in Bangalore city. The bungalows lie opposite
each other, north and south respectively. The south bungalow has implemented the technique
of adaptive reuse, and is, today, a fully functioning office. The north bungalow has been locked
down, and left abandoned, for several years. The bungalows that look like two individual
structures are actually four individual houses. Two houses share the same interior wall and
structure of a bungalow, and both the bungalows along with the cottage in the far west share
the same physical boundary.
The paper discusses why the bungalows, situated in the heart of the city, should be listed as
heritage properties. The bungalows are viewed from a historical perspective; their current
situations are examined, and how they pass the selection criteria for heritage sites, as per
Central Public Works Department. The application of the principle of adaptive reuse is also
explained in length.
The bungalows, being located in Bangalore City, represent a part of Bangalore’s Cantonment
history, of which there is very limited recorded information. Even though it is amidst the busiest
part of Central Business District of Bangalore, it is overlooked or ignored by the passerby’s.
Since Bangalore is one of the cities in India with the least historical data to contribute to its
own past significance and has gone through rapid modernization, it is essential to conserve
what is left of its history and start documenting it.
Research, Analysis and Insights
The bungalows, in question, have no records indicating the initial owners of the property. The
historical data of the bungalows were derived from detailed research of the existing structure
as a whole. Due to its architecture and context it was understood that they were built during
the Colonial Period in Bangalore, they were Victorian erections with Tudor influences and that
the current property owners adapted one of the bungalows into an office in 2014 and the other
is left abandoned. Speculations were made with regards to the area surrounding the site.
Field research, the primary research, was necessary and a bit of a hassle as permissions were
required and several calls be made, nonetheless it was informative. Using Jstor and Google
Scholar, as secondary research tools, to read and refer to articles was a new introduction to
me. Having read the cases of Utah Historical Society and Nottingham Lace Market, and many
others in the process, it was clear that there are many such heritage cases in the world that
have been listed, well conserved and have opted the tool of adaptive reuse sensitively. Putting
the information together, into a structured form, did take some time.
Documentation
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 15 --------

Inspiration and Positioning
The bungalows were chosen as a subject for the research paper by me due to my personal
interest. Staying in Bangalore for over thirteen years and crossing the bungalows weekly,
made me curious to know more about it and also go inside it. Seminar 1 paper provided me
with the chance to fulfil my personal curiosity and also add meaning to it.
Heritage is the value placed in objects and ideas that have been passed down for generations.
The colonial residential bungalows should be recognised as a part of Bangalore’s local listed
heritage. Having discussed about its selection criteria according to CPWD, it contributes to
Bangalore’s history during the British rule, it has been able to maintain its structural integrity
till present day and showcases a great deal of aesthetic value. After being listed as heritage,
steps should be taken to conserve the abandoned bungalow, either adapt it and reuse it as
done to the south bungalow or continue its use as a residential space. Since there is only
limited to nil information of Bangalore’s past it is highly important to value what is remaining
and conserve it.
Objective of the Paper
The bungalows, chosen as the primary subject of the paper, should be listed as heritage, was
initially only my personal belief. The aim of the paper was to establish the same, if possible,
with a more logical and reasonable approach. Using CPWD as a reference and JStor to form
arguments it was possible to confirm that the bungalows are primary candidates to be listed
as heritage given their historical, social and aesthetic significance. The paper also aims to
explain the application of adaptive reuse as one of the bungalows has been converted into an
architectural office space while its twin is left in despair. Keeping the south bungalow as an
excellent example of adaptive reuse done sensitively, the paper discusses, why not the same
be done to the north bungalow.
Process followed, Iterations done, Problem solving and Learning
The process followed for the research paper was quite systematic.
• Step 1 (primary research)- The built for the paper was left to personal discretion. After
choosing the bungalows as the subject, several site visits were done to derive the
primary information. The caretaker of the bungalow was interviewed, and many pictures
of the site were taken to analyse its architecture, structural integrity and understand
its historical context. While the analysis was going on, simultaneously the permission
letter was being prepared to interview the members working inside the office (south
bungalow). The information received from Sushmita Sen (one of the employees) was
very useful and gave a huge insight about the buildings’ functioning.
Documentation
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 16 --------

• Step 2 (secondary research)- It involved looking up JStor and Google Scholar to find
articles, journals, books or reports relating to heritage conservation and adaptive reuse.
It was a pain going through hundreds of PDFs to get the relevant ones. Eventually
mastered the trick to searching the right articles by using the right keywords. But
reading articles and journals and understanding them was not it. The next step was to
use the information from the readings in a way such that it supported the arguments or
arguments were formulated around the given information. Learning to formulate
arguments was something very new and required a lot of intense thinking, at least at
that stage. Finally after a lot of grinding from my faculty, I learned to frame and support
the arguments.
• Step 3- Writing the paper was next step. Putting down information in a systematic order
and also making it interesting for the reader was a little bit of challenge. Having put
down the information, several iterations were done as my literature review and framing
sentences for the arguments took additional effort and time. Ninth iteration was,
according to me, my final paper, but my faculty pushed me a step forward and sent me
back to the site to get the information on the streetscape and developments around the
bungalows to give the paper more weightage. On completing that and adding it to the
paper, it was finally complete.
• Step 4- The class was introduced to the Chicago Manual of Style for citation purposes.
I chose the endnote system of referencing for the paper, the format of which was
shared and explained by our faculty to the entire class along with footnote system and
author-date system. Towards the end, I had to change the referencing format to
author-date system to be able to present it in InDesign.
Reflection
Seminar 1 paper gave me the chance to fulfil my curiosity about the colonial bungalows. Being
the first seminar, the whole concept of heritage conservation was quite new to me. Knowing
that it’s a dry subject, my faculty made it as interesting for all of us as possible. Appreciating
her efforts and seeing her enthusiasm ignited my interest in the subject. Also since I have
stayed in Bangalore for many years, I always wanted to do something meaningful about its
history as it is barely recorded. While writing, iterating a short paper over ten times to make it
more professional and concrete took a lot of effort but eventually I was extremely content with
the result. It made me push my limits as I don’t have a habit to read and write. Heritage, for
me,is not a built being a hundred years old as assumed by the local authorities, it is a space
that evokes a sense of nostalgia and has a story to tell. It should be conserved because it rep-
resents a time, a social dimension and craftsmanship. It has maintenance cost which has to
be borne by someone, but if done on a periodical basis the cost reduces as the life span of the
built increases. It is burdensome to maintain a structure that is left abandoned, but if it is put to
some use, the income derived from it can be used to maintain it else simply demolishing it is
not tough. Yes, the property has real estate value but again only if well maintained. As per my
knowledge, I still have a lot to learn from and contribute to this field.
Documentation
Seminar 1
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
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Course Abstract
Understanding the local heritage as a concept and evaluating the lenses which were used to
determine its heritage value for the authorities and the public.
It involves working in groups of 3-4 people and studying any one of the following:
Mayo Hall
Karnataka High Court
Vidhana Soudha
Freedom Park
The seminar should be a research paper of 2500-3000 words.
Each member of the group is responsible for contributing one section to the paper and then
collaborating the work as a group.
Mayo Hall, being assigned to our group, the work was divided accordingly:
• Introduction- combined work
• Historical Significance- Ameeshi Goenka (Me)
• Aesthetic Value- Roshan Shakeel
• Social Significance- Urvika Chhabra
Abstract
Seminar 2
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 21 --------

Assessing the Heritage Significance of Mayo Hall
Ameeshi Goenka, Roshan Shakeel, Urvika Chhabra
This paper seeks to assess the heritage significance of the Mayo Hall building in Bangalore,
located at the junction of Mahatma Gandhi Road and Residency Road. Divided into three
sections, this paper provides an overview of the history, aesthetics and social relevance of
the building, respectively. The historic significance of the Mayo Hall is brought out through
its evolution over the years. This section also discusses the political and educational reforms
brought in by Lord Mayo who served as a viceroy of India. The section for the aesthetic
significance of the Mayo Hall building features a detailed analysis of the elements which
feature on the structure, linking it to the Greco- Roman style of architecture that was prevalent
at the time. This style of building is explored, along with its significance in the context of
the British era in India. The integrity of the fabric is also discussed, wherein the impact of
weathering on the building, and subsequent restoration work are examined. Lastly the paper
discusses the social significance of the Mayo Hall since 1883 that has continued to be used
as a public building for the everyday runnings of the city till date. It explores the idea of the
building being associated with people of historic importance and further introduces the efforts
taken by the Corporation to convert the building of heritage value into a museum.
Historic Significance
Mayo Hall is a memorial structure of Lord Mayo, the 4th Viceroy of India. Its construction was
started in 1875 and completed only by 1883. The British resident in India in 1874 instituted
the fund used to build Mayo Hall. The total cost of construction was Rs.45, 000 that included
Rs.25, 000 of public subscriptions. The following timeline lists the important years in history of
Mayo hall and its uses over the years:
1862 People of Bangalore formed the Bangalore
City Municipality
1947 India gets independence from the British
Raj
Date not
Known
Cantonment area municipality formed,
namely Bangalore Civil and Military
Station1
1949 Bangalore City Municipality and Bangalore
Civil and Military Station merge to form
the Corporation of the City of Bangalore
1869 Lord Mayo became the 4th Viceroy of
India
Date not
Known
Corporation of the City of Bangalore name
changed to Bangalore City Corporation
and then to Bangalore Mahanagara Palike
(BMP)
1872 Lord Mayo was assassinated2
1990 Restoration and renovation work on Mayo
Hall started by INTACH, PWD and other
departments involved3
1874 The fund was instituted for the
construction of Mayo Hall
2007 BMP was renamed to BBMP (Bruhat
Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) as it now
included neighboring towns and villages
1875 The construction of Mayo Hall started 2011 BBMP moved their offices to
Sampangirama Nagar and Mayo Hall was
converted into Kempegowda Museum4
1883 The construction of Mayo Hall completed.
Bangalore Civil and Military Station occupy
the space
Assessing the Heritage Significance Of Mayo Hall
Seminar 2
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
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Along with Mayo Hall in Bangalore, Mayo Hospital in Bangalore and Mayo School in Ajmer
came up as memorial institutions all over India in the memory of Lord Mayo who was an
extremely significant figure in the history of British India.5
Richard Southwell Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo, and the third most powerful person in the British
Empire, popularly known as Lord Mayo, became the 4th Viceroy of India.6
He initiated reforms
for the betterment of the Indian citizens which included education, socio-economic reforms
and infrastructure development in British India. The extension of the railways was carried
out by him with the help of government funds, as he did not encourage privatization. He also
believed the localization of funds would aid the growth of self-government, and facilitate
pleasant association between the citizens and the British. During his tenure, he conducted
the first census of India in 1871 and also arranged a Statistical Survey of India. Military
expenditure and expenses related to civil administration was reduced greatly by Lord Mayo.
He instrumented salt duty and hiked income tax. In June 1871, he established The Department
of Revenue, Agriculture and Commerce and also introduced the Land-Improvement Act. He
recommended that instead of collecting uniform land revenue from the different provinces, it
should be based upon the productivity and fertility of the land. Lord Mayo stressed upon the
importance of primary school among Indian citizens with the importance of education of the
Muslim children. The European-oriented Mayo College at Ajmer was founded for the education
of young native chiefs from Britain. His intention was to transform the Andaman Islands into a
self-sufficient prisoner colony, and reduce the mortality rate on the islands. He believed that
the prisoners be made self-reliant and carry out productive tasks which included various forms
of agricultural activities like cattle breeding, budding of cotton etc. In 1872, Lord Mayo made
a visit to Andaman Islands to review these amendments, wherein a convict named Sher Ali
assassinated him.7
Seminar 2
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Photograph of the Mayo Hall, east face (1878),
courtesy oldindianphotos.in
Photograph of Lord Mayo ,
courtesy indianetzone.com
---------- Page no. 24 --------

Aesthetic Significance
Mayo Hall is a two-storeyed building made of brick and mortar, painted red with white high-
lights. It features ornamentation that draws from a vocabulary of decorative and constructive
elements which emphasise both the horizontality and verticality of the structure. Described
by the historian Kora Chandy as ‘one of the most elegant public buildings of the era in
Southern India,’ 8
the building displays a remarkable symmetry. The main façade, which is
facing west, is divided into three bays. Behind the façade are two additional layers which
form two half-bays on either side; when viewed from the elevation these become the two
end bays of the Mayo Hall. The central bay takes prominence and provides the building its
most distinguishing features: a Classical entablature supported by Corinthian columns on
the upper level, built onto the façade, and a one-storey portico below it. (The east side of the
building mirrors this arrangement, portico included, although with a smaller entablature and
a slightly different arrangement for the end bays). The entablature features heavy molding;
and the dentils running along its frieze alternate between two types: short and unembellished;
and longer, ornamented ones which take up the height of the frieze. These continue out onto
the molding across the rest of the building, providing it a rhythm of nine dentils a bay. The
columns which support the entablature are arranged in what seem to be blocks of four on each
side, although only the front columns are complete with flutes— the other two are projections
from the façade. They take up the height of the first floor, and under the plinths the transition
is made into the block columns which support the portico. The portico, near-square when
viewed from above, is an attractive entrance to the building. It features a decorative arch and
keystone below a balustraded ledge on each open side. On the first floor, a door opens out
onto a balcony on top of the portico. All of the openings on the upper level feature pediments;
they alternate between curved and pointed, marking the transitions between the bays along
the surface of the building. Window ledges are supported by balusters, and the aedicule on
each opening is heavily ornamented, featuring a combination of geometric and floral motifs. In
contrast, the openings on the ground floor are noticeably simpler: the window tops are flat, and
the frames feature minimal ornamentation. The North and South faces of Mayo Hall, with one
window on each level, also reflect this contrast; they are differentiated from the East and West
faces, however, with the doubled length of the openings. On the whole, the eye is drawn to
the upper levels with its sheer amount of detailing and volume, while the lower levels are more
discreet; as such, the building also rests on a thin, short base.
The Mayo Hall comes under the canon of the Neoclassical or Greco-Roman style of
architecture that was employed for public buildings by the British in India. As with all of the
elements that feature (the entablature, columns, pediments and architraves), the proportioning
of these are also very much in line with that of ancient Greece and Rome. The Neoclassical
style, derived from the architecture that was established in the Classical period, gained
popularity in northern Europe predominantly during the mid -18th to the end of the 19th
century.9
This style of building soon found its way into India through the British East India
Company, with individual European merchants expressing their wealth with grand, classical
houses, in addition to the public buildings that were erected Kolkata and Chennai.10
As
Chrisopher Pinney writes, ‘little thought had been given to what form British architecture in
India should take: the prevailing classical models that prevailed in Britain were simply imported
Seminar 2
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Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 25 --------

with pragmatic adjustments made for climatic difference.’ Greek and Roman structures thus
served as templates for many buildings in cities which had a British presence.11
The Classical
aesthetic, of course, had a significance of its own. Greece and Rome served as ideals of
political organization to the Western world, and its architecture, with its geometric harmony,
simplicity, and symmetry, came to represent the height of civilized society.12
The British found
it apt for the structures they would build. ‘The transformation of Kolkata and Chennai (Madras)
from commercial trading enclaves into elegant neo-classical cities coincided with changing
perceptions of British activity in India. Trade remained important, but the conscious reflection
of the values of Greece and Rome in the monumental civic architecture of the period reflected
a growing awareness of a wider political and imperial role.’ 13
The same process can be traced
in Bangalore, too, through its growth into a British Cantonment, and the construction of the
Mayo Hall. It is worth noting, however, that in the case of the Mayo Hall, the image that the
building creates is not that of purely power or grandeur. Probably due to its functioning as a
civil public office, it has been built on a smaller scale (in fact, one can liken it to a mansion) —
especially in contrast to the Karnataka High Court building and the complex around it, or the
Vidhan Soudha building. The columns span only one level, as does the portico under it; there
is neither a colonnade, nor a set of steps that lead up to the entrance. The overall image that
is created is one of a structure that is approachable and elegant, and yet also holds within it a
strain of power.
The building remains in excellent condition today. Restoration work on the Mayo Hall had
been carried out in 1990 by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH),
providing the exterior of the building a clean-up and a fresh coat of paint. From an image
taken of the site during its construction in 1878, it is evident that all of the exterior detailing has
remained intact. A notable change to the structure came about in 1904 with the addition of a
public office adjacent to the Mayo Hall. The portico on the East face was modified to connect
to the new building, and two more block columns were brought in to extend its length. As a
result, the arch on the outer end has been re-fitted to the new set of columns, while on the
sides two smaller arches have been added to fit the gap. The interiors, too, have undergone
restoration work, although its condition does not seem as pristine as the exterior. Certain
sections of the molding on the upper floor seem be damaged, possibly as a result of water
seepage. However, the rest of the detailing within the building—columns, stairway and arches
have been very well kept. One can conclude that the integrity of the fabric has been preserved
admirably.
Seminar 2
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
View of Mayo Hall’s West Facade Portico link to the public office
(painted red)
Entrance to museum
(1st Floor)
---------- Page no. 26 --------

Social Significance
The assassination of Lord Mayo had a deep effect all over India, among the Indians and the
Britishers, and led to a number of memorial institutions like Mayo Hall, Mayo College and
Mayo school of Arts of Lahore. Mayo Hall was completed in 1883 and housed Municipal
offices for the Cantonment, several public offices and law courts. The upper storey was
designed for Public meetings and exhibitions. Until 2010, the Mayor of Bengaluru’s meetings
were held on the first floor.14
In 2011 with the efforts of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagra Palike
(BBMP), the building was converted into a museum showing a brief look at Kemepgowda’s life
history, the founder of Bangalore and showing how Bangalore came to be. A museum housed
in Mayo Hall built as a memorial to Lord Mayo but now named after the city’s founder brings
out the fact that the hall has been associated with people of historic importance who pioneered
educational reforms. Lord Mayo vigorously advocated the importance of primary education
among the Indian citizens.15
Kempegowda museum in this building associated with Lord Mayo
still carries on his vision and propogation of education that would make people aware about
the founder of the city who has been an important figure in the history of Bengaluru but hasn’t
been given much recognition. Mayo Hall has always been used as a public building for the
everyday administration of the city, from municipal offices to Legislative meetings. It continues
to serve as a background for the everyday functioning of the courts where the museum turns
into a waiting room for people visiting the courts. In 1883, The Hall was handed over to the
Bangalore Municipal Corporation, on a condition that the upper storey of the hall should at all
proper and reasonable times be available to the public for exhibitions and meetings of a public
nature, free of any charge.16
The museum presently housed on the first floor still carries on the
same idea and has made their entrance ‘ free of cost’.
Constant efforts by INTACH in 1990 and the corporation presently has kept the building intact
and well maintained. Restoration work was carried out over the ceiling and the pillars on the
first floor in order to set up the museum. The museum is a reminder to the people of Bangalore
about their city and the tourists that Mr. Gowda is trying to attract. It presently houses the
first Bangalore survey map by the British and photos of temples and lakes from the time of
Yelahanka Dynasty. The Corporation has plans to expand the museum on the ground floor as
well by adding interactive elements and a library. The execution of the museum only started
when a samithi – Kempegowda Smaraka Vastu Sanghralaya was founded in 2005.17
Mayo
Hall, being considered heritage has never been a part of Bangalore’s tourist circuit and thus
the museum lacks audience. Corporation has thus approached the tourism department for it
to be included on the map, which features other buildings of state importance such as Vidhan
Soudha, Fort, Venkatappa Art Gallery and Visveswariah Science Museum.18
Despite it being
heritage, the everyday administrative building was considered important by the Corporation
only after it became a site that showed Kempagowda’s history and not for the intrinsic value of
the building itself. Nevertheless Mayo Hall being recognized for its heritage value already has
an acknowledged role in the community’s life. A museum housed in this building can turn into a
great asset for the building that involves the community for its survival.
Seminar 2
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 27 --------

References
1. “History on Bangalore and BBMP Draft”, BBMP, 2015, accessed September 27, 2015,
http://bbmp.gov.in/en/bbmp
2. “Lord Mayo, Viceroy of India”, IndiaNetZone, 2011, last modified June 7, 201, http://
www.indianetzone.com/42/lord_mayoo.htm
3. Suchith Kidiyoor, “Mayo Hall buries its white under red,” Bangalore Mirror, February
21, 2015, accessed September 20, 2015. http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/
others/Mayo-Hall-buries-its-white-under-red/articleshow/46317246.cms
4. “History on Bangalore and BBMP Draft”
5. “Mayo Hall buries its white under red”.
6. “The murder of Mayo: why Britain kept quiet about a Viceroy’s assassination,” Mjs76,
2011, University of Leicester, last modified September 7, 2011, http://www2.le.ac.uk/
news/blog/2011-archive/september/the-murder-of-mayo-why-britain-kept-quiet-about-
a-viceroys-assassination
7. “Lord Mayo, Viceroy of India”.
8. Janardhan Roye, “Mayo Hall: Still a Picture of Elegance,” Deccan Herald, July
12, 2004, accessed September 21, 2015, http://www.sify.com/movies/boxoffice.
php?id=13519574&cid=13212621
9. “Art 101: What is Neoclassicism?” accessed September 21st, 2015, https://
mashrabiyya.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/art-101-what-is-neoclassicism/
10. “Neo-Classical Architecture in India”, accessed October 3, 2015, http://www.
indianetzone.com/43/neoclassical_architecture_india.htm
11. Christopher Pinney, “Material and Visual Culture” in India and the British Empire, ed.
Douglas M. Peers, Nandini Gooptu (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012), 242-243.
12. “What is Neoclassicism.”
13. “Neo-Classical Architecture in India.”
14. “Reliving Kempegowda’s legacy, ” Shruthi Srinath, Deccan Herald, June 24, 2014
15. “Lord Mayo, Viceroy of India”.
16. Priyanka, Rao, “From Lord Mayo’s memorial to Kempegowda Museum,” The New
Indian Express, January 21, 2012.
17. “Less a museum, more a gallery,” Bangalore.citizenmatters, last modified May
18, 2011, http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/3013-bangalores-history-at-
kempegowda-museum
18. Efforts taken by Corporation, as told by Krishne Gowda (Curator of Kempegowda
Museum)
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Public Space Design
and Technology
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Documentation
The context in this case is the heritage significance of a listed heritage property, namely Mayo
Hall, as studied through the city of Bangalore. Mayo Hall building in Bangalore, located at the
junction of Mahatma Gandhi Road and Residency Road, is a listed heritage property with the
pin code 560001. Mayo Hall is a memorial structure of Lord Mayo, the 4th Viceroy of India. It
is a piece of Greco-Roman architecture completed in 1883. It was used as the municipal office
for the city of Bangalore till 2011 when it was converted into ‘Kempegowda Museum’. Mayo
Hall, situated at the centre of the city, has gone through significant changes over the years.
From being a building to represent British architecture and status in Bangalore to a space that
showcases the local origin of the city by its founder, Hiriya Kempe Gowda.
Research and Inferences
Mayo Hall, the public building in question, had little to no information about its history. The
history of Mayo Hall was derived after hours of online research, going to the Central Library
and interviewing Mr. Krishne Gowda, former government employee and the museum in
charge. Similar historical data was shared on the web, given in the books of the Central
Library and by Mr. Gowda. With the limited information received about the building, an in-depth
research was done to find who Lord Mayo was and what his contributions to British India were.
The Mayo Hall building was assigned to my group by our faculty. The driving force behind
working on this building was, since it was always a public office and crowded with lawyers
(the building adjoining it is the “City Civil Courts”) I barely saw any civilians there to make an
effort to try and go inside the building. Writing about Mayo Hall gave me the chance to dig
up some more about Bangalore’s Cantonment history which is quite valuable as there is no
detailed report or document of the monument available to the public. Having studied about
the historical significance of Mayo Hall, I can say that the conservation done to maintain it is
commendable and its conversion into a museum will do well in spreading the knowledge of
Bangalore’s founder and the city’s history to its civilians in an informed and interesting manner.
As the museum was just started four years ago, many people still don’t know of its existence.
After the museum receives more publicity and is well known, it’ll become a part of Bangalore’s
tourism; which will enrich people’s ideas of the architecture during British Bangalore, hopefully
ignite curiosity of who Lord Mayo was and also boost the significance of Bangalore’s past
(pre and post India’s independence from the British).
Documentation
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Public Space Design
and Technology
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This paper seeks to assess the heritage significance of the Mayo Hall building in Bangalore.
Divided into three sections, the paper provides an overview of the history, aesthetics and
social relevance of the building, respectively. The historic significance of the Mayo Hall is
brought out through its evolution over the years. This section also discusses the political and
educational reforms brought in by Lord Mayo who served as a viceroy of India. The section for
the aesthetic significance of Mayo Hall building features a detailed analysis of the elements
which feature on the structure, linking it to the Greco- Roman style of architecture that was
prevalent at the time. The integrity of the fabric is also discussed, wherein the impact of
weathering on the building, and subsequent restoration works is examined. Lastly the paper
discusses the social significance of the Mayo Hall since 1883 that has continued to be used
as a public building for the everyday function of the city till date. It explores the idea of the
building being associated with people of historic importance and further introduces the efforts
taken by the Corporation to convert the building of heritage value into a museum.
A systematic research process was followed by every individual of the group. The process
included the following steps:
• Step 1- Mayo Hall, after being assigned to our group, each one of us did an in-depth
internet research of our respective topics. I did a detailed analysis of its history as some
of the information given online was slightly contradictory in nature. The online research
carried on individually for a few days wherein each one of us shared the links with the
other person if we found something relevant to their topic. Finally we all sat down
together, shared our findings and decided to do a site visit.
• Step 2- The site visit involved all of us to gather more information about our topics
collectively. While Roshan was clicking pictures of the building and Urvika was on a
call with a member from INTACH, I was arranging for my meeting with Mr. K. Gowda
who is a former government employee and used to work for Visvesvaraya Industrial
and Technological Museum for many years, is the in charge of the Kempegowda
Museum at Mayo Hall. The three of us sat together to talk to Mr. Gowda about Mayo
Hall for about twenty minutes. I managed to get information about the history of Mayo
Hall and Urvika about the social events that take place and the public nature of the
building.
• Step 3- Each one of us wrote our individual pieces and sat together and collaborated
it. Having known that we were supposed to work on the introduction together, we wrote
our points and formed the introduction paragraph. The citations were done by each one
of us for our parts and put together.
Documentation
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Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
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Reflection
The seminar 2 paper gave me the opportunity to research about a listed heritage property in
the city of Bangalore. As it had little information recorded about its past, it was really intriguing
for me to get as much about May Hall from everywhere possible. Going to the site and doing
fieldwork can be tedious but the answer to all questions as well. It was good to know that the
continued use of Mayo Hall since the time of construction was maintained and the structure
was well conserved. It was continued to be used by the municipality board of the city till
2011 when they moved to a bigger space and the first floor of Mayo Hall was converted into
a museum. Though the shift of context from being a memorial erected for the fourth viceroy
of India to a museum displaying information of Bangalore’s founder, Mayo Hall has always
maintained its public nature. The integrity of the fabric is still intact and the life span of the
monument has increased due to its well conservation. The hall built in the remembrance of
Lord Mayo has always been open for meetings, discussions and visits by civilians free of cost.
Mayo Hall is a good example to prove how a heritage property can be maintained and
conserved by the government authorities if they want to take care of it. Most of the older
buildings around Bangalore city are being demolished, as the cost of maintenance is too high,
to make way for modern day constructions.
Working as a group, reduced the burden on everyone’s shoulder as each one of us had equal
amounts to contribute in the paper. We went about the whole process smoothly and were able
to complete it on time.
Documentation
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Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
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Course Abstract
Understanding heritage of a local area in Bangalore and examining the heritage value of the
building with refernce to its streetscape.
Seminar 3 was undertaken in two stages and involved Narayan Pillai Street in the city.
Stage 1-
It involved students working in groups of 3-4 to document a section of Narayan Pillai Street,
between Veera Pillai Street and Ibrahim Sahib Street. One task was assigned to each group.
The tasks included-
• draw out elevations
• make a photographic stitch-up of either sides of the street
• talk to owners and residents of the street and document uses and history of the
properties on either side of the street
• undertake a historic study of the larger area including the street – Ameeshi (me), Palak
and Prarthana
Stage 2-
It involved each student working on one building on the street.
For individual buildings the aim was to document the building in terms of its use, (brief) history,
and physical fabric, and then undertake a physical fabric analysis so as to ascertain new and
old elements, and the overall condition of the building.
Based on these examinations and analysis, students’ were expected to propose repair,
maintenance, restoration, reconstruction, adaptive reuse, continuing use or redevelopment of
the building and site.
Abstract
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Public Space Design
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Lakshmi Nivas
Introduction
In this report, the main subject of discussion is Lakshmi Nivas, house no. 301, situated on
Narayan Pillai Street. The paper focuses on looking at the entire region of Shivajinagar area
historically and then narrowing it down to Narayan Pillai Street. The entire streetscape of
Narayan Pillai Street was done collaboratively by all the students of class before we broke into
our individual house reports. The information gathered as a whole has also been included in
the paper which adds more depth to it. Lakshmi Nivas’ historical significance has been derived
from the information shared by the owners of the house and the neighbouring shopkeepers.
The analysis of the physical structure has been performed through several site visits and
photographs. The proposal is based on the concept of shop-housing, which is the local area’s
socio-economic trend prevalent, also inspired by the conservation of shop-houses done by the
URA on Joo Chiat Road in Singapore.
Figure 1- Map of Narayan Pillai Street showing the extent of the study area bound to the north
by Veera Pilla Street, and to the south by Ibrahim Sahib Street a
(Source: Google Maps, 2015).
History of Narayan Pillai Street and the surrounding area
Narayan Pillai Street, lying perpendicular to Commercial Street, came under the Bangalore
Cantonment set up by the British in the 1890s. The area extending from Ulsoor Lake to the
St. Mary’s Basilica was referred to as the ‘general bazaar’ or the ‘cantonment bazaar’ during
the British rule. As it is considered a part of Shivajinagar (which was also referred to as the
Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 37 --------

‘general bazaar’ or the ‘cantonment bazaar’ during the British rule. As it is considered a part of
Shivajinagar (which was also referred to as the ‘general bazaar’), Narayan Pillai Street has a
history that is connected with early trade and commercial activities in Bangalore. It lies to the
north of the Commercial Street. Considering the buildings along the street, it may be surmised
that the street was established between the early and mid-1800s. The exact origins, however,
are unknown. Nor are those of the original settlers on the street. There are hypotheses that
the style employed for the original buildings are of Tamil origin, however, they do not follow
the “agraharam” style that is typical to Tamil buildings, though it may still be said that there
are Tamil influences. More prominent are the colonial influences, with the mix of colonial and
vernacular architectural styles demonstrate the mixed heritage of the street. This is made
clear by the row or terrace housing seen on the buildings of the street, which was widely
employed in Britain from the 1800s. According to the old inhabitants of Narayan Pillai Street,
the street has always been a residential area with only three to four commercial set ups, until
early 2000s. The houses on Narayan Pillai Street were owned by British nationals and, post-
independence, were then passed on to the Indians who worked for them. Narayan Pillai Street
presents a rich mix of architectural styles. For example, the houses numbered 298 and 305
demonstrate clear colonial influences in their exterior architecture. House number 209 also
shows Tamil and Malayali influences in its interiors. Other houses such as numbers 44-47
have more Indian vernacular architectural elements, proportions and scale. Around 1920s,
the area was renamed “Shivajinagar”, and, since Indian independence has been a part of
Bangalore’s Central Business District.
Figure 2- Bangalore city map, circa 1924 from “Murray’s 1924 Handbook”.
Cantonment Bazaar Highlighted. (Source: Wikipedia, 2015).
Lakshmi Nivas
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Public Space Design
and Technology
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Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Commercial Street and its surrounding areas are popularly known for wholesale and retail
shops (for example, stationery shops, and hardware stores), granaries, cloth and carpet
depots, local banks, jewelry shops, mosques, and temples. Services offered in the area
include tailoring, mending of shoes and bags, jewel-smithing, tattoo artistry and body
piercings, cycle repairs and kabadiwallas. The area is most crowded during festivals such as
Ramzan and Diwali. The inhabitants of the area are largely Muslims, natives of Tamil Nadu
and Karnataka whose families were among the earliest settlers of the town.
Figure 3- Entry to Narayan Pillai Street from
Commercial Street.
Figure 4- Streetscape of the part of Narayan
Pillai Street which is the focus of the project.
Figure 5- A well conserved living heritage, property no. 298, on Narayan Pillai Street.
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Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Figure 6- Present day streetscape of Commercial Street.
Figure 7-‘C. Krishniah Chetty & Sons’,is the
oldest building on Commercial Street.
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Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Current scenario of Narayan Pillai Street
Narayan Pillai Street is a two-way street which is about ten feet wide. As a result of this,
only one vehicle may pass through at a time, and parking is forbidden, at all times. Still, it
is commonplace to find several two wheelers and auto-rickshaws parked on both sides of
the street, and even the footpaths. The street is most crowded between 5pm to 7pm every
evening due to its commercial activities. Even though the property owners are very well off,
financially, the area is perceived as an area of low economic development. This is partly due
to the lack of maintenance by the BBMP. The street itself bears a dilapidated look, with a
large amount of litter all along it. Cows, slowing down traffic and pedestrians, are a common
sight. The footpaths are about two to three feet wide on either side of the street, which have
been encroached by hawkers, peddling their wares, and refreshments, leaving no place for
the pedestrians to tread upon. The entire street follows the concept of shop-housing, where
most of the house owners sublet the ground floor for commercial activities such as the sale of
garments, accessories and general goods. According to the old shopkeepers on that street,
the advance paid to rent a space for a commercial purpose was much less of a problem as
it is in the present day. Some of them agreed that majority of the old properties on the street
are disputed properties as the documents are unavailable. Some of the properties have been
locked down, and left in a derelict state. Some of the others have been adapted to present
day activities of the area, and some other more fortunate buildings have been conserved
excellently, and still in use. There are few new constructions seen on the street.
Figure 8- 10’ wide Narayan Pillai Street with people walking on the street and
a parked auto-rickshaw.
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Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Figure 9- Vehicles parked on the footpath and a cow moving freely viewed on
Narayan Pillai Street.
Figure 11- Peddlers can be seen selling toys and food items.
Figure 10- Shops on Narayan Pillai Street.
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Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Lakshmi Nivas
House No. 301 is a residential property, located on Narayan Pillai Street, Commercial Street
Cross, Bangalore- 560001. It is owned by a Mr. Krishnamurthy, a geriatric man hailing from
Andhra Pradesh, who stays there with his sons and domestic help. Plots 300 and 302 are
owned by him as well. According to him the house was built around 1950s, and he had his
family have occupied the building since before he was born. According to Mr. Gupta,
Mr. Krishnamurthy’s son, the property belonged to their forefathers, and the construction
was completed in stages. He also mentioned that, at the time of construction, there were no
designers or architects that could be hired for this type of construction, and that the house was
built by the masons adhering to the family’s needs and desires. Lakshmi Nivas has always
followed the concept of a shop-house. There are two shops on the ground floor and the
residential space lies behind the shops on the ground floor (initially it was just a single storied
building) and also on the first floor (which was constructed later).
Figure 12- An abandoned house, property no. 305, representing Colonial-Indian
mixed architecture.
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Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Figure 13- Facade of Lakshmi Nivas.
Figure 15- Basic representation of the facade on AutoCAD.
Figure 14- Angled view of
Lakshmi Nivas.
Uses over the years
The ground floor of the house comprises of an entrance to the main housing area (which
continues behind the shops) with a shop on either side (plots no. 300 and 302) and the first
floor is entirely a residential space. The shop on the left, namely ‘Garvi Gujarat Art and Craft’
built on ‘Plot no. 300’, is currently rented by a Gujarati man who sells children’s and ladies’
clothes and jewelry. He has placed a small sign board with his shop’s name and address on
the green and white awning. The shop on the right, ‘Plot no. 302’, is rented by a lady from
Uttar Pradesh, who had renovated the space according to her needs, for the display of ladies
clothing and accessories. The name of her shop is ‘Ma. Durga Fashion’ as can be seen on the
large signage installed by her above the brown and white awning. Before these two shops, the
space was occupied by ‘Gupta Garments’, which sold lingerie and ladies’ nightwear for a few
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Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
years. According to the one of the workers in the shop opposite house no. 301, for the last ten
to fifteen years, the approximate rent the shopkeepers would pay is about ₹20,000 per month
adjusted for inflation. S & S Creations, whose sign is visible between the signage boards of
the two shops, was a small scale school uniform tailoring business. The proprietor had rented
a room inside the house several years ago. After he vacated the space, someone else rented
it out as an office for a few years. As per the shopkeeper’s speculation, that room has been
converted into a bedroom, and the owner is looking for tenants. The space’s continued use as
a residential property and as means of providing a livelihood is well established in the context
of the area. It blends in well with the socio-economic pattern of the local region.
Figure 16- Showing the shops on the two sides of the main house door
entrance (ground floor).
Figure 17- Showing the first floor which is completely residential.
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Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Figure 18-‘Garvi Gujarat
Art and Craft’ is on ‘Plot no.
300’which sells children’s
and ladies’ clothes
and jewelry.
Physical Structure and Fabric Analysis
The entrance of Lakshmi Nivas is a step raised from the footpath. The floor appears to
have been recently done, as it is mosaic flooring and shows no signs. The stone seating
arrangement, which have recently been painted, on either side of the door, were most
probably constructed with the house. It is a characteristic element of old Indian houses. The
pipeline that runs along the foot of one of the seating arrangements is a newer addition to the
structure. The walls on either side of the door are made of ashlar stone blocks, which have
been conserved fairly well since the time of construction. The door in between is a single
sided opening, thick wooden slab, which is old yet has been well preserved. Upon inspection,
the blue paint job upon it appears to be fairly recent. The simple door, when viewed from
the outside, gives an impression of a small house, which is quite deceptive as the house
expands a fair ways inwards, as one walks through the door. Above the wooden door, is a
ventilation provision covered with a wooden plank and vertical and horizontal metal grills.
The uniform number plating display above the doors of the houses on Narayan Pillai Street,
as seen above the door of Lakshmi Nivas, with white numbers on a blue painted metal plate,
has been provided by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (the Bangalore municipality
board) in 2012 when the PID (Property Identification Number) system was introduced. As
mentioned previously, the structure was completed in stages, with the first level being a later
addition made of concrete. The broken windows on the first floor are made of glass. They are
extremely old and some are missing, having not been replaced by the owners. Tarpaulin or
simply plastic are used as substitutes to fix the glass window frames, in order to provide shade
Figure 19- ‘Ma Durga Fash-
ion’ is on ‘Plot no. 302’
which sells ladies and gar-
ments and accessories.
Figure 20- Shop opposite
Lakshmi Nivas selling
ladies nighties.
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Lakshmi Nivas
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Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
and as a simple protection from rain. An idol of Goddess Lakshmi is crafted as ornamentation
and to bring good fortune and prosperity to the family, as believed by the Hindus, and can be
seen below the molded parapet of the building.
Figure 21- Recently done ‘mosaic’ flooring. Figure 22- Recently painted old stone seating
arrangements leading to the door. Pipe line, at
the base of the seating, is a recent addition.
Figure 25- Grilled and covered ventilation above
the door and the uniform number plating seen
above every house on Narayan Pillai Street
Figure 23 & 24- Walls made of ashlar
stone blocks, old wooden door and the
expanding further inside.
Figure 27- Concrete cracks visible and broken
parapet moldings. The idol of Goddess done as
ornamentation.
Figure 26- Broken glass windows of
Lakshmi Nivas and the use of artificial
material as a substitute.
---------- Page no. 47 --------

Heritage Significance
Lakshmi Nivas, being situated on Narayan Pillai Street, is a good example of how a building
is constructed in stages in terms of its historical context. This is evident upon comparison of
the ground floor, made of ashlar stone blocks, which was the most commonly used building
material around the1950s, and the first level, which is made of concrete, a common material
of construction in the early 1990s. Shop-housing on Narayan Pillai Street is the best way to
describe the pattern of activity and uses of the area and they should be conserved because
it gives an idea of how the socio-economic trends were, historically. The livelihood of the
area, represented through buildings like this, is significant to conserve. It is important that
the continuing use of the properties, that are shop-houses or residential in this area, is
maintained because there is a lack of historical evidence; this continuing use depicts how
the area was then till present day. The citizens have taken interest in documenting it only in
the last few years, but it will still be of help in the future. The appearance of the first level of
Lakshmi Nivas pulls down the heritage value of not only the building. Given the low quality of
maintenance the structure receives, it will deteriorate it even further, unless the maintenance
is improved dramatically. The building will not only experience degradation in its own aesthetic
value, but it will also degrade the aesthetic value of the street as a whole. Since house no.
301 is a comparatively recent construction, it may not be important as a ‘heritage’ property.
Nevertheless, it comes under the category of ‘living heritage’ as it has provided for livelihood
to the local people, for as long as they can remember, and also due to the context in which it
is situated, i.e. near Commercial Street, which has always been a busy, chaotic, commercially
active zone. Plot nos. 300, 301 and 302, like majority of the houses on the street have
followed the concept of a shop-house.
Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Figure 28- Old buildings along Narayan Pillai
Street following the concept of Shop-housing.
Figure 29- Lakshmi Nivas, a shop-house on
Narayan Pillai Street, demands conservation.
Shop-housing
Shop-house can be defined as a vernacular style of architecture popular in South East Asia.
It is usually known to have two or three stories, a footpath at the front porch and it’s usually a
continuous row of houses. The ground floor is meant for trade and commercial practices while
the upper stories of the building are used for personal activities. Shop-houses are also known
as ‘townhouses’ which are semi-public in nature. (VnEconomy, 2014) According to popular
belief, shop-houses were originally occupied by single, extended families, with their private
---------- Page no. 48 --------

Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
living areas in one zone and the family business in a more public zone of the house. However,
it is possible that the two zones were always or often used by unrelated persons or groups,
who may have been tenants or owners of the property. (Wikipedia, 2015)
The Proposal
Lakshmi Nivas, on Narayan Pillai Street, catering to the day to day needs of an active local
economy and being a private residential space to the Krishnamurthy’s since the 1950s, needs
to be conserved. The proposal to bring about such conservation would include the continuing
use of the building and repairs and maintenance measures, for the structure, to be taken up
by the owner and the steps to be taken by the shop owners to improve the aesthetics of the
building thus influencing the streetscape. As mentioned in the Burra Charter under Article
23, “Retaining, modifying or reintroducing a significant use may be appropriate and preferred
forms of conservation.” (Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter, 2013)
For this report, the journal article, “Ethnoscapes, entertainment and ‘eritage in the global city:
segmented spaces in Singapore’s Joo Chiat Road”, written by Brian J. Shaw and Rahil Ismail
has been referred to which explains the conservation of shop-houses done by the URA (Urban
Redevelopment Authority) in Singapore. (Shaw and Ismail 2006, 187-198)
The owner, for the maintenance of the structure, should take measures to repair the concrete
cracks to avoid further problems of water seepage and to prevent the loss of structural
integrity. Reconstruction of the moldings and the repainting of the entire building with a neutral
colour to blend in with the streetscape will be a sensible and sensitive introduction. The URA
in Singapore has reconstructed the ornamentation of the shop-houses in order to preserve
the architectural style of the buildings. As the shop-houses in Singapore depict various
architectural styles ranging from “early (before 1900s), transitional, late (1900-1940), and art-
deco styles (1930-1960), which make use of decorative plaster and ceramic motifs”, similar
sightings can be witnessed on Narayan Pillai Street. The URA has taken measures to reinforce
the association between the culture of the locale and the existing architectural styles. Joo
Chiat Road has two storied shop-houses which is a distinct building style of the local region
and caters to commercial trade and activities on the lower level and private residence on the
first floor which is the same scenario in the case of Narayan Pillai Street. (Shaw and Ismail
2006, 187-198)
Figure 30- Repair of concrete cracks and
reconstruction of moldings and ornamentation.
Figure 31- A heritage conserved property on
Joo Chiat Road (Source: Mothership, 2015)
---------- Page no. 49 --------

Mr. Krishnamurthy should remove the grills behind the broken glass windows. He must either
repair the broken glass windows temporarily or completely replace them with multi-track
sliding windows, casement windows or just convert it into a balcony with ornamented metal
railings, in order to improve the standard of living of his family and tenants and enhance the
visual appeal of the built. Multi-track glass sliding windows would allow the owners to continue
with the use of glass but in a more modern manner. This is possible as the first level was
built during the 1990s which was just before India started practicing modern architecture. The
casement windows would be a more contemporary approach as the wooden shutter system
was common till the late 1990s but the use of glass would be a more modern material. The
proposal of converting it into an open balcony with ornamented metallic railings or grills. It is
important to avoid the use of quick-fix materials like plastic or tarpaulin on a daily basis as it is
not a sensitive material for a living heritage site and it visually degrades the aesthetics of
the building.
Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Figure 32- Existing broken glass windows that need attention and the use of plastic
discouraged. Metallic grills behind need to be removed.
Figure 33- Proposal for sliding glass windows.
(Source: Indiamart, 2015)
Figure 34- Proposal for glass shutter
windows. (Source: Yash poly-profiles)
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Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Shop awnings appear dirty, old and worn out. Printed stripes do not go with the theme
prevailing in the area. Plain or graphic (appropriate to the context) retractable window awnings,
if maintained well, would enhance the aesthetics of the façade and also add value to the
living heritage property. For a more permanent structure, wooden awnings are a more friendly
material, if well maintained; they would be long lasting and would enrich the visual appeal of
the building. Awnings can be used as signage as well, as it would mean use of lesser bulky
looking materials and also be cost effective. The humungous signage displays above the
shops need to be replaced with more sensitive signage display which are probably smaller in
size and the typeface to reflect the living heritage value of the area. The URA in Singapore has
enforced restrictions on intrusive signage to the shop-houses on Joo Chiat Road which would
be good if applied by the shops 300 and 302. (Shaw and Ismail 2006, 187-198) It would be
advisable for other shop-houses as well to follow the signage guidelines as enforced by the
URA in Singapore to improve the Narayan Pillai streetscape. Since the space inside the house
is not rented by ‘S & S Creations’ anymore, the signage should also disappear.
Figure 35- Existing awning and huge signage
of ‘Ma Durga Fashion’ needs to be replaced
by something more sensitive to the context.
Figure 36- Existing awning and huge signage
of ‘Gupta Garments’ needs to be replaced by
something more sensitive to the context.
Figure 37- Proposal for plain retractable
awning (Source: Accent Awnings, 2014).
Figure 38- Proposal for graphic awning
(Source: Manchester Awning, 2015).
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Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
In the case of Joo Chiat Road and Narayan Pillai Street, the commercial activities of the
shop-houses are pouring onto the footpaths, thus disrupting the heavy pedestrian movement
and vehicular traffic. Like other examples on the Narayan Pillai Street and as enforced by
the URA for the shop-houses on Joo Chiat Road, commercial activities should be confined
to the space rented for it and not allow for mannequins and tables on the footpath. Height
restrictions have been established by the URA and the BBMP for the construction of new
buildings and rear extensions. Narayan Pillai Street just like the Joo Chiat Road “caters to the
daily needs of a lively local economy”. Most of the traditional trades that gave character to the
area, like traditional laundry services, skin-making and tailoring have been lost in the course
of time which is in contrast to that of Narayan Pillai Street wherein the same trade like selling
garments and accessories, kabadiwallas, paper cutting, repairing cycles etc., is carried on by
the local people. The steps taken to conserve the shop-houses on Joo Chiat Road, is done by
the URA with the help of government aids and finances whereas to conserve the shop-houses
300,301 and 302 the expenditure would be borne by Mr. Krishnamurthy and the shop owners.
(Shaw and Ismail 2006, 187-198)
Figure 39- Proposal for permanent
wooden awning with side signage
(Source: Two Tone Design).
Figure 40- Proposal for retractable awnings
with uniform row signage as seen on Joo Chiat
Road (Source: Tumblr- Klaine Road Trip, 2015).
Figure 41- Proposal for information display
as seen on Commercial Street.
Figure 42- Proposal for using awnings as
signage (Source: Mega Print).
---------- Page no. 52 --------

Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Conclusion
Lakshmi Nivas, on plot no. 301 Narayan Pillai Street is a clear example of a building falling into
disrepair. This is primarily due to continued neglect and lack of forward thinking during design.
It also demonstrates a lack of care toward cultural and historical sensibility in the way it was
upgraded, renovated, and maintained. However, in order to maintain its cultural significance as
an example of the architectural style of late 1900s Bangalore, as well as the socio-economic
trends through the years, it is important that the building continue to exist. Lakshmi Nivas
provides a good example of the shop-housing concept that was common during the time of
construction. To that end, the two shops on either side its frontage must be retained. However,
in order to restore the building such that it blends in with the other historical buildings on the
street, the awnings on the shops will have to be changed, using any of the methods discussed
earlier. The building itself will have to undergo significant renovation to transform it from its
current, almost uncared for, state, into a form that is both functional, housing the same people,
and shops, as it does currently, and true to its cultural roots, while being significantly improved
aesthetically. The first step to this would be replacement of all the broken windows, either
Figure 43- Shops 300 and 302 pouring onto Narayan Pillai Street.
Figure 44- Shop activities confined to their space on Joo Chiat Road (Source: Mitula)
---------- Page no. 53 --------

partially, changing only the window panes, or completely, removing the metal grills, and
installing sliding windows. The next step would be to repair the walls themselves, to retain
the structural integrity of the building, and ensure its continued life. This is a necessary half
measure, due to the fact that the building has been constructed in steps, with no real future
plan, or regard to how the existing style and materials could be maintained, with the floors
being made of different materials. The building may be repainted in neutral colours so as to
better blend with the other buildings on the street, thereby creating a cohesive appearance
that keeps in line with the historical narrative of the street.
Narayan Pillai Street has a rich heritage that stretches back to the Indian Colonial era, and
the old buildings are a continuing demonstration of the development of the street. However,
the recent additions of double parked vehicles, hawkers encroaching the streets, and the
increasingly decrepit states of the buildings that line its sides damage the significance of this
heritage. The living heritage that has been created by the existence of shop houses along
the street, which still function, may be better preserved by careful renovation of the buildings
that line it, minding the original aesthetics of the buildings. In order to lessen the burden of
this renovation, it is recommended that the BBMP partially fund the same, as in the case of
Joo Chiat Road. This will ensure that the owners and proprietors do not have to be financially
handicapped by such reconstruction, while still ensuring the same is carried out.
In conclusion, these proposals, if carried out, would be large steps toward preserving the
historical integrity, and cultural heritage of both Lakshmi Nivas, and Narayan Pillai Street,
which is an integral part of Bangalore’s history. Additionally, being a unique, live, cross section
of the development of Bangalore as a city. It will also ensure the preservation of Narayan
Pillai Street’s living heritage, that of the shop houses, and small scale artisans, for future
generations.
References
BBMP, 2015. “GIS Based New PID.” Last modified in 2015.
http://bbmp.gov.in/gis-based-new-pid
VnEconomy, 2014. “Shophouse, distinctions of Park Hill.” Last modified on July 22, 2015.
http://vneconomy.vn/tin-doanh-nghiep/shophouse-net-rieng-cua-park-hill-20150722023623319.
htm
Wikipedia, 2015. “Shophouse.” Last modified on August 10, 2015.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shophouse
The Burra Charter, 2013.“The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance.”
Accessed on November 5, 2015.
Shaw, Brian J and Ismail, Rahil. 2006. “Ethnoscapes, entertainment and ‘eritage in the global
city: segmented spaces in Singapore’s Joo Chiat Road.” GeoJournal, Vol. 66, No. 3, Heritage,
Politics and Identity in Southeast Asia. 187-198. Accessed on November 1, 2015.
Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 54 --------

Lakshmi Nivas
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
Mothership, 2015. “OH! Open House lets explore Joo Chiat homes without getting chased
out.” http://mothership.sg/2015/03/oh-open-house-lets-explore-joo-chiat-homes-without-
getting-chased-out/
Indiamart, 2015. “Aluminium Sliding Window.”
http://dir.indiamart.com/hyderabad/aluminium-sliding-window.html
YashPoly. “Products.”
http://www.yashpolyprofiles.com/upvc-windows.html
Accent Awning Company, 2014. “Retractable Window Awnings.”
http://www.accentawnings.com/awning-sun-shade-products/retractable-window-awnings.php
Manchester Awning, 2015.
http://www.manchesterawning.com/
Two Tone Design. “Corner Store Café.”
http://twotonedesign.com.au/branding/?c=corner-store-cafe
Tumblr, 2015. “Klaine Road Trip 2015- Singapore.”
http://klaineroadtrip2015.tumblr.com/post/128398654030/klaine-road-trip-2015-singapore
MegaPrint. “Signs.” megaprint.nyc/signs.html
Google. http://imganuncios.mitula.net/joo_chiat_shophouse_approved_
for_f_b_4_5k_96635369390297484.jpg
---------- Page no. 55 --------

Documentation
The practice of heritage conservation as applied to old buildings in Bangalore is studied in
detail and is the context of this paper. Bangalore city, though new as compared to other cities
in India, was the base for British Cantonment when they captured the State of Mysore. In the
process, during the planning of the cantonment, the general bazaar area was deemed the
busiest. The by lanes of commercial street (including Narayan Pillai Street) had houses of
mix colonial and vernacular architectural styles owned by the British which were later passed
on to the Indians working for them. Most of the houses are disputed properties as no legal
documents are available.
Currently, Narayan Pillai Street is most crowded between 5pm to 7pm every evening due to
its commercial activities. Even though the property owners are very well off, financially, the
area is perceived as an area of low economic development. This is partly due to the lack
of maintenance by the BBMP. The entire street follows the concept of shop-housing, where
most of the house owners sublet the ground floor for commercial activities such as the sale of
garments, accessories and general goods. Some of the properties have been locked down,
and left in a derelict state. Some of the others have been adapted to present day activities of
the area, and some other more fortunate buildings have been conserved excellently, and still
in use. There are few new constructions seen on the street.
House No. 301 is a residential property, located on Narayan Pillai Street, Commercial Street
Cross, Bangalore- 560001. It is owned by a Mr. Krishnamurthy, a geriatric man hailing from
Andhra Pradesh, who stays there with his sons and domestic help. Plots 300 and 302 (the
two shops) are owned by him as well. The house was constructed in stages though the
ground floor was ready by the 1950s. Lakshmi Nivas has always followed the concept of a
shop-house. There are two shops on the ground floor and the residential space lies behind
the shops on the ground floor (initially it was just a single storied building) and also on the
first floor (which was constructed later). The space’s continued use, since the 1950s, as a
residential property and as means of providing a livelihood is well established in the context of
the area. It blends in well with the socio-economic pattern of the local region.
Research, Analysis and Insights
Stage 1- the research work involved documenting the history of Narayan Pillai Street and the
larger area (Shivajinagar) which it is a part of. Visiting the Central Library to get old pictures
of the ‘general bazaar’ and old maps of Bangalore was done but not a lot of information was
gathered. The online research was more useful as I managed to get very old maps of the
Bangalore Cantonment, the city planning and even Kempe Gowda’s planning (which was not
relevant). The blogs had beautiful images of the buildings on Narayan Pillai Street though they
were only half a decade old recordings. The main chunk of black and white pictures of the
Cantonment Bazaar that was collected by me, was the same collected by Palak and Prarthana
as well. The three of us finally sat down together and compiled a single document with the
historical pictures of the area.
Stage 2- The house, each of us wanted to work on, was left to our discretion. Having chosen
to work on Lakshmi Nivas , several site visits were done to gain information about the building
Documentation
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 56 --------

and the area. The shopkeepers were giving some conflicting information about the shops
(300 and 302) which had to be analysed and confirmed before penning it down. Since all the
research work, after Stage 1, was done at the site, a lot of first-hand information was received
which is better than finding data on the web. The information I obtained was exclusive and put
down systematically in the paper.
The inspiration behind choosing Lakshmi Nivas was its interiors. When I first saw it from
outside it was only a door with two shops on either side. But when somebody opened the door
and I looked inside, it was a long corridor with rooms on both side and an open space towards
the end. In spite of being told that the college will not take responsibility of its students if they
were to go inside and interview people in their private spaces, I caught hold of a friend, Aditya
Ganesh, who has practiced krav-maga and went inside to interview the owners. The house
kept expanding with every step we took. The residents of Lakshmi Nivas could not give us
too much information as they assumed that we were from the income tax department despite
showing them our identity cards. Having understood that nobody wanted to share too much
information regarding the properties in the area, I clicked pictures of the building and the
surrounding area and started working on the paper.
On writing the paper and having continuous discussions with the faculty, I took a stand on
the ‘living heritage’ value of house no. 301. Lakshmi Nivas, being situated on Narayan Pillai
Street, is a good example of how a building is constructed in stages in terms of its historical
context. Shop-housing on Narayan Pillai Street is the best way to describe the pattern of
activity and uses of the area and they should be conserved because it gives an idea of how
the socio-economic trends were, historically. The livelihood of the area, represented through
buildings like this, is significant to conserve. Steps have to be taken to maintain the structure
and aesthetics of the built for a prolonged life span and adding to the heritage value of the
streetscape. Since house no. 301 is a comparatively recent construction, it may not be
important as a ‘heritage’ property. Nevertheless, it comes under the category of ‘living heritage’
as it has provided for livelihood to the local people, for as long as they can remember. Its
continued use with steps of maintenance work is the best way to conserve it.
In this report, Lakshi Nivas located in the Central Business District of Bangalore is the main
subject of discussion. The paper focuses on looking at the entire region of Shivajinagar
historically and then narrowing it down to Narayan Pillai Street. The entire streetscape of
Narayan Pillai Street was done collaboratively by all the students of class before we broke into
our individual house reports. The information gathered as a whole has also been included in
the paper which adds more value to it. Lakshmi Nivas’ historical significance has been derived
from the information shared by the owners of the house and the neighbouring shopkeepers.
The analysis of the physical structure has been performed through several site visits and
Documentation
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 57 --------

photographs. The proposal is based on the concept of shop-housing, which is the local socio-
economic trend prevalent, inspired by the shophouses on Joo Chiat Road in Singapore.
A systematic research process was followed for this report. The process included-
• Step 1- The first site visit was undertaken wherein the entire class, along with the
faculty, walked around Shivajinagar, getting a feel of the area and examining the old
buildings, and commenced our tour at Narayan Pillai Street. Vidhu, the faculty,
discussed every old building on that stretch with us and left us to look around for a
bit ourselves. The entire class was divided into groups of 3-4 members and each
group was assigned a task. My group members and I did the pacing of one side of the
street and clicked pictures which was later converted into the Autocad representation of
the buildings while the other groups clicked pictures of the entire street and buildings
and also got information on the social and historical aspects by talking to the local
people of the area.
• Step 2- The next class, we shuffled groups and each group was given a new task.
In my group’s case, we had to do the historical photographic documentation of the
entire area and Narayan Pillai Street. The online research and visiting the Central
Library was done individually by every group member over the next few days. Finally,
we all sat together, compared our information, removed the overlapping images and
compiled a document which was shared with the entire class.
• Step 3- The time had come to pick a house individually and write a report on it. I picked
Lakshmi Nivas as I was fascinated by its interiors. Another site visit was carried out
by me and my friend when we went to interview the owners for good twenty minutes.
Having wasted that time, as it wasn’t all that informative; I clicked pictures of the
building and we left.
• Step 4- I took the pictures back to my faculty and she helped my analyse the physical
structure. I started writing the paper meanwhile to put the information in an order and
continued with the analysis. The next step was another site visit.
• Step 5- This site visit was to collect the final pieces of research information required to
write in the paper. I went alone this time and interviewed the shopkeepers in 300 and
302, the opposite shop and a few other local people. Having gathered that information,
it came down to making sense of it and putting it in the paper.
• Step 6- The writing continued wherein I put down all the information I had in its
raw form. Once I was done putting everything down in points and paragraphs, the next
discussion I had with Vidhu was about the proposal. She asked me to look up a
few readings on the conservation of shop-houses around the world and also Singapore
in particular and encouraged me to carry on with my idea for proposal which was
continued use with maintenance work that needed to be down and also improving the
aesthetics of the building which would at least contribute a little bit to enriching the
Narayan Pillai streetscape.
Documentation
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 58 --------

• Step 7- The writing continued wherein I polished everything I had written till the
proposal. I found out the article on shop-housing on Joo Chiat Road in Singapore and
read it twice till I was sure about the points I had to use from it. Some more research
was done in the case of repair works, window, awning and signage displays. After
completing the research, I sat down and completed the proposal.
• Step 8- Once the proposal was completed, several iterations were done to the paper. I
went back to the site and clicked good images this time and not just working images. I
added images to explain my points that I had penned down in the paper, did the
formatting and by the 12th iteration I was done.
• Step 9- Having thought that I had completed my paper properly with citations, I wasn’t
satisfied with it. Feeling that it did not feel complete or professional enough, I spent time
to write down the conclusion and ended it cleanly.
Standard rules that were followed for the paper was no plagiarism, either quote it or
paraphrase it and cite; speculations only if necessary and keeping the paper structured and
easy to read by anyone.
Reflection
Writing a paper on Narayan Pillai Street gave me the chance to engage with the local people
of the area, so much so that, after seeing me there time and over again, they got used to
having me around and talking to me about the area and the built environment. Field work was
interesting and connections were made after getting over the fear of venturing into the by-
lanes alone. Since I went there more than once, even listening to my classmates talk about the
buildings, the architecture and the culture of the area, turned into a meaningful discussion.
In the process of writing the paper, I was really keen on finishing it as fast as possible
because after having written so many papers earlier, I was getting a hang of it and it did not
seem burdensome anymore. The writing process was more relaxed than before despite
the time crunch. The learning of continued use of an old building was a new concept to me
as my earlier papers have been only about adaptive reuse of old buildings. Reading and
understanding about the reasons behind continuing use and the ways to bring about sensitive
conservation is terms of shop-houses, keeping the local socio-economic trend in mind, was
very interesting, challenging and informative.
Lakshmi Nivas, given the context and background it is situated in, needs to conserved as a
‘living heritage’ property. Its continued use over the years as providing means of livelihood to
the people is its socio-economic trend which is similar to the other buildings on that street. If
the owner takes responsibility and adheres to the proposal, the life span of the building would
increase tenfold, the building’s visual appeal would improvise the streetscape of Narayan Pilllai
Sstreet and its real-estate value would also rise.
Documentation
Seminar 3
Ameeshi Goenka
Public Space Design
and Technology
---------- Page no. 59 --------

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