Restoration cost will run into multiple lakhs, but the building’s heritage architecture will be brought back to original state

It will have the look of a brand new building built in 1890: Victorian style architecture, a superstructure with brick walls lined with lime mortar, pitched roofing in the main hall with Mangalore tiles, other roofs of Madras style. Every detail of the original will be authentically replicated and one of Bangalore’s heritage structures – the 124-year-old Bowring Institute – will be restored to its former glory by the state archeology, museums and heritage department.

The building is currently sending nothing short of an SOS. “There are deep cracks to the walls and the roofs, both pitched and flat, built 126 years ago, are leaking during the rainy weather and inundating the terraces. There is no proper rain water disposal system. The rain has created ugly fungal patches on the ceilings and caused the peeling of plaster,” rued H S Srikanth, secretary, Bowring Institute, in a plea for help to the state archeology department, in February.

”It is therefore recommended that structural strengthening of the protected monument is carried out at the earliest to not only prevent further damage but also to enhance its longevity of life,” he has added, in the proposal.

For once, the government has responded quickly. The process of restoration was formally kicked of on Wednesday, with the commissioner, C G Besturmath inspecting the protected monument with the department officials. “They had submitted a proposal to restore the Bowring Institute, which is a protected monument. The inspection is carried out. It is visible that structure needs restoration. We have decided to give a go ahead to the restoration process without affecting its original form,” Besturmath told Bangalore Mirror.

“We aim to complete the roof work before monsoons (in June-July). The rest of the work will be carried out in phases later with team of professionals to restore the structure,” Stuart Clarke the treasurer of Bowring Institute said.

The wooden flooring, superstructure, doors, and windows will be restored using both technology and traditional craftsmen, besides a team of conservation architects, engineers, and artists under supervision of the state archaeology department. The department has just completed a state-of-the-art restoration of the Dewan Poornaiah bungalow at Yellandur in Chamarajanagar district.

The restoration at Bowring will mainly be in three phases – restoring the roof to prevent water seepage during rains which is a major threat to the whole structure, strengthening and restoring pillars, walls and the ground level work. Before work begins in the nearly 11 acre campus, soil tests will be done and the foundation strength checked. The superstructure of brick walls constructed with lime mortar, which has developed cracks, will be tested and fixed. The pitched roofing in the main hall, reading room and Black Dog bar, consisting of steel trusses, beams, steel purlins and Mangalore red tiles, and other roofs of Madras terrace type, will be redone. The flat roof, peeling and leaking, will also be restored. Old floors will be relaid in the same design and style as it was.

The doors and windows will be restored using the same wood, colour and design as they were in 1890s.”It is proposed to retain the old foundation, displace the structures built during the past 50 years close to the monument and retain the club activities, and importantly bring back the look it had a century ago,” Anup Bajaj, the president of Bowring Institute said.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Others / by Chetan R, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / April 10th, 2014