BCD 2017

T H E B U I L D I N G C O N S E R VAT I O N D I R E C T O R Y 2 0 1 7 47 BUILDING CONTRACTORS 2 programme of repair and restoration and of such improvements as can be achieved, including recreational use of the terrace roof and a new fire escape. Another project examined by the AST is the repair and restoration of Duff College, also established by Duff, but for the Free Church of Scotland (which broke away from the established Church of Scotland following the ‘Disruption’ of 1843). This impressive structure, standing prominently in Nimtala Ghat Street and fronted by giant order Doric columns, is now in a disastrous state of decay, collapsing internally and with trees sprouting from every opening. It has been the subject of a long campaign by architect Nilina Deb Lal – currently completing doctoral research in Edinburgh on Calcutta’s construction – and may now be taken on by the West Bengal Heritage Commission. VICTORIA MEMORIAL HALL The greatest and most spectacular of the British buildings in Calcutta is the Victoria Memorial Hall (VMH), built as a museum to commemorate the ‘Queen-Empress’ following her death in 1901. The instigator of the project was Lord Curzon and the architect was Sir William Emerson, then president of the RIBA, with Vincent Esch as executive architect in India. Building began in 1904 and was completed in 1921 by Martin Burn & Co, a company which still exists. The VMH was built on an ‘H’ plan in a European classical style, with Moghul touches, and Emerson’s choice of white Makrana marble facing was a deliberate reference to the Taj Mahal: memorial to Shah Jahan’s favourite wife Mumtaz. A large statue of Queen Victoria stands at its centre and the great dome above is topped by a 3.5 ton gilded bronze Angel of Victory, modelled by Lindsey Clark and cast in Edinburgh by George Mancini. This revolves in the wind and is known locally as ‘the fairy’. The Victoria Memorial is headed by its secretary and curator, governed by trustees under the chairmanship of the governor of West Bengal, and is ultimately the responsibility of the government of India. Despite being such a powerful symbol of the Raj, it is much loved and admired by Calcuttans and by Indians in general. It is widely recognised as: • one of the world’s great buildings in its own right • an architectural set-piece in an open and highly formal garden setting, which contributes powerfully to the wider landscape of the city • one of the great museums of the world and, as such, a building in need of change to accommodate the 21st-century needs of collections, exhibitions, staff and its large number of visitors. Its recent history is presented here as a case study: one which, unfortunately, tends to confirm Vikas Dilawari’s observation that ‘government-owned public buildings which are major landmarks in Indian cities, suffer from ill-informed, ad hoc and unwanted repairs’. To the ordinary observer, the VMH appears to be in good condition. However, concerns began to be expressed in the 1980s and Sir Bernard Feilden, then director of the International Centre for Conservation in Rome (ICCROM), was invited to inspect and report on its condition. His 1992 report described the problems he observed and made recommendations. Despite being essentially a mass brick structure, the building includes a lot of steel which supports the floor and flat roof structures, while cables contain the outward thrust of the dome at its base. Sir Bernard noted extensive water penetration and expressed concern about corrosion and expansion of the steel. Some of the very clear recommendations in his report were taken up, but many were not and 15 years later concerns were again being expressed. In 2007 I was asked to undertake a further and more detailed inspection. This was eventually done in 2012 through Dulal Mukherjee & Associates on instructions from the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC). I was assisted by John Sanders (Simpson & Brown) and Ashish Sharan Lal (Alleya & Associates), with structural input from Michael Beare of AKS Ward Lister Beare. The process followed the standard pattern for fabric inspections. Every exposed surface and visible feature was examined and evident defects and symptoms, large and small, were recorded. These were then correlated and analysed in order to establish an understanding of the soundness of the original materials and construction, and the mechanisms of decay. The task was then to draw general conclusions, to ascertain the need for further invasive investigation and to make recommendations for further action, including conservation work. A secondary object was to identify opportunities as well as problems, including the potential for integrating repair work with alterations designed to improve the operation of the building as a museum and visitor attraction. The task was greatly assisted by the availability of no fewer than 877 original drawings which described the construction in great detail. The report which followed the 2012 inspection made reference to the ‘significance- based’ approach to conservation derived from The Burra Charter , and emphasised that conservation was the management – not the prevention – of change. It emphasised that international good practice required that repair and restoration work and work to accommodate necessary change should be carefully planned and managed in an integrated way. It also made clear that the report itself was not a specification and that further investigation, appraisal, cost assessment, prioritisation, design and specification would be required before any programme of work could be responsibly put in hand. The principal conclusions of the 2012 report were that: • there was significant water penetration through the roof surfaces, parapets, cornices and open joints in the marble facings; in addition, approximately one in five of the rainwater pipes was leaking • there was very high humidity in the accessible underbuilding voids and significant condensation on the underside of the steel-supported principal floor, with evidence of rust staining; most of One of the 877 original drawings of the Victoria Memorial Hall which aided the 2012 fabric inspection