Renovation story of Chennai GPO
Almost eight months after
heavy rains brought down a portion of its roof, the historic general
post office is getting a facelift, complete with a set of sparkling new
roof tiles. The work delegated to a local contractor began two weeks
ago. The first few loads of special Kerala tiles have arrived. The
workers are now setting up iron beams. "The earlier structure had a
limestone base, below which hundreds of bluegrey wooden beams are
placed, and above which the tiles are laid. We are retaining the look,"
said the contractor.
The postal department is trying its best to use most of the old material which is in good condition. "Many of the tiles can be re-used, the beams and stairs are of very good Burma teakwood. The stone structures just need to be polished," said a postal department official.
The consistency of the inner base is likely to change, as limestone in some places will be replaced with cement. "Steel structures don't go with limestone, so we are using a little cement. Steel and metal are being used instead of stone beams," said the official. This may not go down well with conservationists. The 128-year-old building has had a couple of accidents in the new millennium. In 2001 nearly 15,000 sqft of the building was engulfed by a fire. The restoration took four years, but it let heritage lovers disappointed.
"Without consulting conservationists, they constructed a Great Hall as part of the restoration works. This 'restoration' could have affected the solidity of other parts of the building," wrote historian and conservationists S Muthiah. The hall with glass entrances and granite floors did not look like its Indo-Sarcenic self.
The heritage conservation committee (HCC) under the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority had given permission to the department of posts to do internal maintenance, said a committee member.
"The building is listed as a heritage building in the Justice E Padmanabhan committee report. We had sent them a notice asking them not to change or alter without getting permission from the HCC," said the member. They suspect that the repair being undertaken now could be a part of internal maintenance Many employees who have worked in the building for more than two decades say the building has changed. "The old building with its high ceilings was airy. The long fan poles and lighting used to be charming.
These changes are suffocating," said an employee. "We used to enjoy taking the circular staircases which connected different parts of the building. I still remember standing outside the stone-carved balcony watching ships in the harbour during lunch time," says another employee.
Now the first floor and its balcony is out of bounds for security reasons, the circular staircases were removed when the building was renovated seven years ago.
The postal department is trying its best to use most of the old material which is in good condition. "Many of the tiles can be re-used, the beams and stairs are of very good Burma teakwood. The stone structures just need to be polished," said a postal department official.
The consistency of the inner base is likely to change, as limestone in some places will be replaced with cement. "Steel structures don't go with limestone, so we are using a little cement. Steel and metal are being used instead of stone beams," said the official. This may not go down well with conservationists. The 128-year-old building has had a couple of accidents in the new millennium. In 2001 nearly 15,000 sqft of the building was engulfed by a fire. The restoration took four years, but it let heritage lovers disappointed.
"Without consulting conservationists, they constructed a Great Hall as part of the restoration works. This 'restoration' could have affected the solidity of other parts of the building," wrote historian and conservationists S Muthiah. The hall with glass entrances and granite floors did not look like its Indo-Sarcenic self.
The heritage conservation committee (HCC) under the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority had given permission to the department of posts to do internal maintenance, said a committee member.
"The building is listed as a heritage building in the Justice E Padmanabhan committee report. We had sent them a notice asking them not to change or alter without getting permission from the HCC," said the member. They suspect that the repair being undertaken now could be a part of internal maintenance Many employees who have worked in the building for more than two decades say the building has changed. "The old building with its high ceilings was airy. The long fan poles and lighting used to be charming.
These changes are suffocating," said an employee. "We used to enjoy taking the circular staircases which connected different parts of the building. I still remember standing outside the stone-carved balcony watching ships in the harbour during lunch time," says another employee.
Now the first floor and its balcony is out of bounds for security reasons, the circular staircases were removed when the building was renovated seven years ago.
The Times of India, July 8, 2012
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