Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

New buildings to get heritage touch

By T. Nandakumar

The renovated Bhajanapura Malika.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT. 12. The concrete matchbox structures lining the banks of the Padmatheertham pond could soon be wearing a new look reflecting the traditional style of architecture typical of the ancestral buildings and palaces in the Fort heritage zone. The Archaeology Department is working on a project to remodel the commercial buildings around the pond and bring them in tune with the architectural profile of the heritage environment.

The multi-storeyed building housing the District Cooperative Bank at the eastern side of the Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple and the Vasudeva Vilasam Ayurveda Pharmacy and Nursing Home at the northern end of the pond have been selected for restyling in the first phase of the project.

The department has cleared the design which involves the construction of multiple towers on the terrace with sloping, tiled roof. The balconies on each floor will be reconstructed with sloping shades supported by concrete brackets and iron jallies. The shades are to be covered with Mangalore tiles.

The heritage look will be enhanced further with decorative plastering and cornice work. The nursing home building will also feature gable windows (mukhappu) which are a prominent feature of the ancient style of architecture.

The director, V.Manmadhan Nair, said the project was aimed at ensuring architectural uniformity and reversing the distortion of the skyline caused by concrete buildings out of sync with the environment. He said the reconstruction work would be entrusted to the respective institutions. "Discussions are on with the managements to convince them of the need to adopt these design changes. We have received a positive response. The project may take off any time now."

Mr. Nair said the design parameters were selected to impose the minimum financial burden on the commercial establishments. The buildings will look better after the facelift, he added. The department has imposed controls for all new buildings in the heritage zone to ensure that they conform to the traditional style.

Renovation project

Simultaneously, a project to renovate the dilapidated Moodathumadham in front of the SP Fort Hospital is on the anvil. Estimated to cost Rs.42 lakhs, the renewal will be taken up in the next phase of the `Conservation of the Fort area and its environs' project. It involves reconstruction of the whole structure which has fallen to ruin after years of neglect.

As many as 10 heritage buildings were renovated in the second phase of the Rs.2.5-crore conservation project with assistance from the Central Tourism Ministry. These include the Central Archives building, Bhajanapura Malika, the Taluk, Excise and Village offices and the Pension sub-treasury near the Vettimuricha Kotta, the Sundaravilasam, Saraswathivilasam and Rengavilasam palaces and the Peshkar office. The road from the Vettimuricha Kotta to Bhajanappura was paved with cobblestones.

Major work

Archaeology officials said many of the buildings required major reconstruction including structural reinforcement and replacement of damaged portions. Conservation teams found that a major portion of the rafters of the Sundaravilasam palace was eaten away by termites. "The damage went unnoticed because the roof was concealed by the wooden ceiling. Some of the cracked banisters had to be rebuilt. The damaged masonry was `stitched' using the traditional mixture of lime-based plaster," said a conservation expert.

The granite pillars in the Bhajanapura Malika were scrubbed to remove the enamel coating. Some of the columns were out of alignment and had to be reset. Specialised workers were employed to take up the restoration work.

The department has also drawn up a programme to reconstruct the Margi building and Krishnavilasam palace in the next phase of the renewal scheme.

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