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Dalhousie Square, Calcutta – A Heritage of the Nation
Manish Chakraborti
Conference "The Conservation of Colonial Cities": Colonial cities in and around India
Where: Mumbai, Auditorium, National Gallery of Modern Art, MumbaiWhen: 27th – 28th february 2003Organised by: Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai, Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI)Contact: Manish Chakraborti ([email protected] )
Vanishing in the urban chaos of modern Calcutta, the conservation and urban revitalisation of the historic city centre of Dalhousie Square
is indeed significant.
Conservation of Heritage Zone of Dalhousie Square Calcutta
Towards a Management Plan
Action Research in Conservation of Heritage
Introducing
Dalhousie Square
Calcutta
Evolution of the city
The European Quarter of the city
The Indian Quarter of the city
Calcutta 1690 - 1757
Dalhousie Square arounsd the Tank, 17th century
Fort from the River, where GPO stands today
St. Annes Church with the Fort William at the rear
Calcutta 1757 - 1798
St John’s Church and churchyard
Writers Buildings
The Tank The Tank
The Old Mint
The Government House, inspired from Curzon’s House Kaddleston Hall in Derbyshire
The Old Court House Street
The historic city center in relation to the city
The present Fort William
Dalhousie Square
The historic city centre of Calcutta
A heritage zone of the Nation
First in Dalhousie Square
HERITAGE OF THE NATION
Hickey
•Hickeys Gazette was first published here
•First newspaper which completed 100 years, The Englishman, was published from here from 1833 – 1934
•Electricity was introduced here when Flury and Co demonstrated the use of power in 1878
•Use of gas was first demonstrated here in the early 1900s
•The first Broadcasting Corporation, the Indian Broadcasting Corporation, was set up here in August 1,1927
•The first escalator was introduced in the Reserve Bank of India
•Nobel Laureate CV Raman had his first job at the Accountant General Office here before becoming a physicist
•India’s first hotel, Great Eastern Hotel, was set up in 1840
•The first English playhouse was set up at the Mission Road / Lalbazar crossing in 1745
•The first bank, Bank of Hindusthan, was set up in 1770
_________
The Classical Dalhousie Square
19th century Dalhousie Square
still largely survives
Tank Square today
Tank Square, yesterday
Netaji Subhas Bose Road, today
Clive Street, yesterday
Treasury Building, today
Treasury Building, yesterday
The Restored Town Hall, today
The Town Hall, yesterday
St Johns Church and churchyard
St John’s Church yesterday
Except Dalhousie Institute
The visual axis between the Governor House and the Writers Building
Imperial Bank
The Marble Statues
Well designed environmental settings like street lamps, seats, clean pavement, etc
And many more
Imperial Bank, Bank of Bengal, demolished
Imperial Bank
Dalhousie Institute
Abandoned warehouses
Demolition & Neglect of heritage
resource
Currency building
Unlisted warehouses under threat of
demolition
Tank square ill kept
Conditions of our footpath and public utilities like telephone meter
No well paved footpath for the pedestrians
Public utility on the pavement block the right of way for the pedestrians
Badly designed and non-uniform grill (in design and color)
Encroachments by food stalls and squatters on the footpath
The Currency Buildingovernightly destroyed
From Insensitive destruction
to
a growing concern for protection of heritage
Kolkata Municipal Corporation
Under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act the following provisions for heritage preservation are incorporated
Constitution of Kolkata Municipal Corporation Heritage Conservation Committee in 1998 headed by Municipal Commissioner and 7 members
Prepares a Draft Regulations for Heritage Buildings and Precincts
List of 1300 heritage buildings in CMA
Inventory of Heritage Buildings
Review of conservation / development plan of listed heritage buildings
Inspect and monitors conservation works
Provision of incentives like tax exemption, change of compatible use, transferable development rights (TDR).
Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority
Passes a Heritage Act, 2002 whose jurisdiction is the State of West Bengal.
Forms a Heritage Commission to identify and list heritage buildings in different districts.
Identified key Heritage Zones in the Vision 2025 Plan namely
Dalhousie Square, Riverfront Area , College Street Area,
Initiated the Riverfront Development – removal of encroachment and landscaping the edge of the River.
Public Works Department, Government of West Bengal A large number of Government Institutions housed in listed
heritage buildings are maintained by the PWD
Ex: Writers Building, Government House, Legislative Assembly, The High Court,etc
Roads are maintained by the PWD
PWD are often the implementation arm of conservation work for the State Archaeology
Prepares the Government Schedule of Rates for various civil works followed by all the departments of the State
Government including conservation. Presently working on a separate schedule of rates for conservation.
Recently restored the Prinsep Monument
Has plans for undertaking an underground parking (under BOT scheme) near the Tank Square.
Has Plans for beautification and landscaping of the Tank and its surroundngs
Archaeological Survey of India
Protects, Conserves and Maintains 117 Monuments in West Bengal and 1 Monument (Metcalfe Hall) in Calcutta under the Ancient Monument Act.
Plans to take up and protect the dismantled Currency Building in Calcutta along with two more Synagogues in Dalhousie Square
Plans to propose the Bishnupur Group of Temples for UNESCO World Heritage Inscription. (West Bengal is not represented among the List of World Heritage Sites in India)
Has trained conservation professionals and expertise
Conserves and Maintains Victoria Memorial under Deposit Work
On going conservation project
Town Hall
Metropolitan Building
General Post Office
Metcalfe Hall
Treasury Building
Currency Building
House of Vivekananda
House of Vidyasagar
House of Rabindranath Tagore
Revival Of Star Theatre
Sovabazar Natmandir
The Town Hall
Restored in 1997. Funded by auction of paintings by a noted artist to Corporate Houses.
Calcutta Panorama
Town Hall gifted in 2002 with a museum on the evolution of the city and its social, cultural and political significance
The Metropolitan Building
Scheme drawn out. Restoration has begun with one panel. Funded by the Life Insurance Corporation of India
The General Post Office, Calcutta
Recently restored by the Post and Telegraph
Department
The Metcalfe Hall, Calcutta
The only protected Monument by the ASI in Calcutta. Funded by ASI
The Treasury Building
Conservation work in its planning stage. Funded by the CAG office, GOI
The Currency Building
In the process of being protected by the ASI.
The House of Vidyasagar
Conserved in 1999. Funded by Deptt of Higher Education, Government of West
Bengal
The House of Vivekananda
Conservation is in its final phase. Funded by Ramkrishna Mission, Ministry of Culture, GOI and West Bengal Government
Revival of Star Theatre
The work started in Nov 2002. Funded by KMC
NGOs in conservation and city improvement
Society for Preservation
Concern for Calcutta
CBE (Centre for Built Environment)
PUBLIC ( People United for Better Living in Calcutta)
INTACH ( Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage)
ICC (Indian Chamber of Commerce)
ARCH (Centre for Action Research in Conservation of Heritage)
Society for Preservation
Founded by noted historian Nisith Ranjan Roy. Involved in lectures, publications, exhibitions and campaign for conservation of heritage buildings and sites in Calcutta.
Concern for Calcutta
Organisation of concerned citizens of Calcutta. Involved in proactive campaigning against inappropriate urban planning, traffic, and organising urban festival like the New Market Festival and River Festival with the Government and other organisations.
CBE (Centre for Built Environment)
Involved in writing, publications, planning advice, workshops, lectures, seminars and futuristic proposals for city’s problems
PUBLIC ( People United for Better Living in Calcutta)
mission is to improve the environment of Calcutta and promote sustainable urban living. Monitor air and noise pollution, land-use planning, the protection of open spaces and the conservation of heritage buildings.
INTACH ( Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage)
The Calcutta Chapter of INTACH is involved in heritage awareness and acts as a catalyst to facilitate conservation initiatives in the city. It is involved in documentation, heritage awareness programmes and assist in conservation through its network of professionals
ICC (Indian Chamber of Commerce)
ARCH (Centre for Action Research in Conservation of Heritage)
ARCH is working towards the conservation and awareness of heritage buildings and places. We campaign for reconciling conservation with development through initiating community planning and assisting in managing change of urban environment . We also have the expertise in the following: Documentation and Research, Heritage Walks, Restoration and Training Workshops.
ARCH is working towards the conservation and awareness of heritage buildings and places. We campaign for reconciling conservation with development through initiating community planning and assisting in managing change of urban environment . It has expertise in the following: Documentation and Research, Heritage Walks, Restoration and Training Workshops.
Conservation of Heritage Zone of Dalhousie Square Calcutta
Towards a Management Plan
Action Research in Conservation of Heritage
Dalhousie Square
The historic city centre of Calcutta
A heritage zone of the Nation
ASI takes over the dismantled currency building along with two other Jewish synagogues in Dalhousie Square
making it 4 number of monuments under protection by the ASI in Calcutta
Getting River Back to the city
Initiatives by the CMDA, Post Trust, CMC for River front development
Other Initiatives
1 Town Hall gifted with the Kolkata Panorama – a city museum
2 GPO is restored to its former glory
3 The restored Metcalfe Hall has a publication counter and a brick museum
4 The forgotten fountain is repaired
5 CMC heritage committee ratifies the list of 1300 listed heritage buildings in Calcutta which recognises Dalhousie Square as a heritage zone under LUDCP
6 The Heritage Act gets enacted by the State Government and a State Heritage Commission is formed.
7 NGOs are more active in heritage preservation and conservation
8 Media is taking on heritage stories actively.
9 Heritage Awareness walks are here to stay
10 International Organisations / individuals recognises the heritage resources of Calcutta
Envisioning a future of
Dalhousie Square, Calcutta
Improving the city center of Dalhousie Square Heritage Zone is clearly very close to many of our
hearts.
Here are the things we would like to see. We have only included things that we know are
possible to achieve.
An improved landscaping around the tank square. A better designed and durable footpath for pedestrians. A permanent mark on the street along the heritage walk Interpretation and Information board.
City Centre VISION A better designed, managed and enhanced city centre image
NOW
SIGNS / PLAQUES / MAPS
PERMANENT MARK ON THE STREET ALONG THE HERITAGE WALK
LANDCAPING OF TANK SQUARE
DURABLE / BETTER DESIGNED FOOTPATH
Durable /better designedfootpath
SOON
Well designed street furniture, viz
• street lights • uniform road dividers/ railings • base of existing trees
• bus stand, • telephone kiosks • letter boxes • dustbins
More going on in the evening. Lighting of significant heritage buildings
Concerts at the un-utilised churches, town hall in the evening.
Arts and Cultural festival using the historical ensemble of buildings and historic settings
City Centre VISION A better designed, managed and enhanced city centre image
Well designed street furniture
• street lights • uniform road dividers/ railings • base of existing trees • bus stand
• telephone kiosks • letter boxes • dustbins
Traditional letter box to be continued
Telephone Kiosk Selective Pedestrianisation Red pigment on tar road
Seating arrangement Walkway promenade
Concerts at the un-utilised churches, town hall in the evening.
Arts and Cultural Festival using the historicalensemble of buildings and historic settings
More going on in the evening. Lighting ofsignificant heritage buildings
LATER
Renewal and adaptive reuse of redundant warehouses
Façade improvement of listed heritage buildings.
City Centre VISION A better designed, managed and enhanced city centre image
Adaptive reuse of redundant warehousesfor gallery, housing office space, arts centre.
FAÇADE REPAIR SCHEME
CONSERVING THE HISTORIC CITY CENTRE CALCUTTA
2002 - 2020
What could be The Driving Engine for its implementation and management ?
Dalhousie Square Association
a collective body, which aims at generating public and corporate involvement towards the
conservation of this historic heritage zone
This is a presentation by ARCH,
an acronym for
Action Research in Conservation of Heritage.
ARCH is working specifically towards awareness and conservation of heritage buildings and zones in Calcutta and West Bengal
ARCH campaigns for reconciling conservation with development through initiating, community planning, networking and assisting in managing change of urban environment
ARCH has been actively pursuing the following objectives namely since 1999Documentation, Research, Publication, Heritage Walks, Training Workshops in Repair of Heritage Buildings and Community Involvement for Conservation
From
Footsteps (walking tour) to
Urban Revitalisation
of Dalhousie Square
Is this your vision ?
Lets join hands
to make them happen
ARCH is recipient of the IFA (India Foundation for the Arts, Banagalore) Award for 2002 – 2003
For Documentation of architectural heritage buildings in Dalhousie Square. This document is presently underway which will be used while or if nominating Dalhousie Square to international organisations like UNESCO or WMF.
Thank you From
Action Research in Conservation of Heritage
AA 171A Salt Lake, Calcutta 700 064
Tel: 337 5757 / 355 0915 / 355 3188