BCD 2017

48 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 the underbuilding was inaccessible for inspection • the steel roof and floor structures were corroding to a significant extent; embedded steel in the foundations and the cables in the dome were also likely to be deteriorating; this deterioration was progressive and could only be arrested by drying the building • further investigations, including access to the remaining voids, and action to eliminate leaks and condensation should be initiated as a matter of urgency • the mechanical and electrical services were seriously deficient, poorly installed and affected by moisture • the flat roofs should be made more completely and effectively waterproof, insulated and given a reflective upper surface to minimise solar gain • ground moisture should be kept out of the fabric and a dry, air-conditioned space created in the underbuilding voids beneath the principal floor; as first suggested by Sir Bernard Feilden. This would provide the opportunity to create new accommodation for the ancillary functions that a modern museum requires – as at the Louvre, the National Gallery of Scotland etc. It would also enable the temperature and relative humidity in the main galleries to be more effectively controlled • the revolving mechanism of the Angel surmounting the dome should be serviced. By far the most serious concern, raised by Sir Bernard as long ago as 1992 and strongly reiterated in 2012, was water penetration and its likely effect on embedded structural steel. Specific recommendations for next steps were made, including advice that further investigative work should be planned as a matter of urgency in order to develop a strategic approach and a carefully prepared and fully integrated 5–10 year programme of work. More than three years have now passed since submission of this report and there has been no indication that this strategic proposal for an integrated programme of work has been prepared. Such concepts are hard for bureaucracies to grasp and things move slowly in India. LOOKING FORWARD It is clear that conservation is not yet a priority in India, except where sites like the Taj Mahal and the cities of Rajasthan are of obvious benefit to the tourist economy. This is particularly true of old towns like Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) and Patiala – both the subject of visionary reports by Sir Patrick Geddes, written in the 1920s – and of the cities and hill stations like Calcutta and Shimla, where the shared heritage of Britain and India are concentrated. Taken as a whole, India’s cultural heritage may be the richest in the world, but the realisation that it is a massive asset which requires management has yet to be fully appreciated. As the economy grows, the risks that much of it may be lost increase by the year. Nor is the physical heritage the only area of concern. Much has been done by the UK to train a new generation of conservation architects: the challenge now is to establish an understanding of proper process and to equip the cities in particular with the trade and craft skills essential for good repair and restoration work. The experience built up here over the past 50 years makes the UK uniquely well-equipped to extend the concept of ‘shared heritage’, to build on the foundations laid by Sir Bernard Feilden in the 1970s, and to strengthen further the historic relationship between Britain and India through conservation. JAMES SIMPSON OBE HonDSc FRIAS is an architect and a founding partner of Simpson & Brown in Edinburgh. He has consulted on conservation projects in India since 2004, principally in Amritsar and Calcutta, where he inspected and reported on the Victoria Memorial Hall in 2012. He prepared a conservation plan for the Secretariat in Rangoon in 2014. He has written and lectured extensively on conservation practice and has been a campaigner for heritage causes in Scotland and beyond, latterly for Britain’s Overseas Heritage in South Asia. He is a trustee of the Asia Scotland Trust. NOTES 1 Bureau of Indian Standards, IS 3036:1992 Code of Conduct for Laying Lime Concrete for a Waterproofed Roof Finish , New Delhi, 1992 (http://bc-url.com/lime-concrete) Interior of the Victoria Memorial Hall with Thomas Brock’s statue of the young Queen Victoria Condensation glistening on the underside of the principal floor of Victoria Memorial Hall, and corrosion to the steel beams supporting it