Bengaluru’s old buildings shine in first ever INTACH Heritage awards

by April 21, 2015 Society
INTACH recognises heritage buildings in Bengaluru on the basis of maintenance, architectural integrity and value to the cityscape at the first edition of the Heritage Awards.

Srinivasa Mahal, Winner – Private (Residential) category

Commemorating World Heritage Day, INTACH Bengaluru announced the winners of the city’s first Heritage Awards. The winners were selected from amongst 50 nominations that were received from the public in two categories, government-owned and private buildings. The selection was made by an eminent jury comprising former UNESCO Ambassador Chiranjivi Singh, senior archaeologist Dr SVP Halakatti and the young and accomplished architect Anup Naik.

Based on the diversity of entries, it was decided to give awards to buildings in three categories: Public, Residential (Private) and Institutional (Private). Some of the parameters the jury considered were the maintenance, architectural integrity and value, value to the cityscape and so on. The selection was difficult and in some categories, the jury was compelled to give more than one prize.

Winners in the Public category


‘B’ station, Winner – Public category

‘B’ Station: For its historical value and its link with a major city event (electrification of the city), its functional continuity and its architectural integrity.


Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall, Winner – Public category

Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall, housing the State Central Library: For its architectural integrity, historical setting, and as an example of a colonial style of architecture with many elements of a local Mysore style of architecture.

The jury felt that Tipu Sultan’s Fort and Palace stood unique in their own separate category and were best considered as one complex. Accordingly, they decided to give a Special Award to the Fort and Palace complex, for being among the surviving historic monuments of Bangalore, for being well maintained in their surroundings and also for the distinctive wooden architecture of the palace.

Winners in the Residential (Private) category


SVS Gupta and his son receive the award for the Private (Residential) category

Srinivas Mahal, Vasavi Temple Road, Basavanagudi, owned by SVS Gupta: For being a living example of a synthesis of various styles of architecture, for its maintenance, for its high quality of craftsmanship, and for how the owner has maintained its architectural intent.

Perfect Peace, Inner Circle, Whitefield, owned by Paul D’Souza: For maintaining the architectural intent, for its maintenance, and for being a good example of colonial architecture in Whitefield.

Special Mention Award to Umapathi Dharmalingam for his bungalow on Kenchappa Road, Fraser Town

A Special Mention Award is given to a bungalow on Kenchappa Road, Fraser Town, owned by Umpathi Dharmalingam, for being an example of architecture characteristic of a part of the cantonment, for maintaining the original elements of the house and for resisting the pressure to change, despite change all around!

Winner in the Residential (Institutional) category

$(document).ready(function(){ $(‘.carousel .carousel-inner .item’).first().attr(‘class’, ‘active item’);});

The winner in the Institutional (Private) category is the Mahila Seva Samaj building, for maintaining its continuity into the present, for its architecture which symbolises a particular time period and use, and for its powerful associative value.

The INTACH Heritage Awards 2015 were partly sponsored by Good Earth Eco Futures Private Limited.

Sections:

About Meera Iyer

Meera Iyer is a member of INTACH's Bangalore chapter, and a freelance journalist writing on science, environment and history.
Read more by Meera Iyer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

‘Banni Nodi’: How a place-making project is keeping history alive in modern Bengaluru

by October 28, 2024 Society
The Banni Nodi wayfaring project has put KR market metro station at the heart of a showcase to the city's 500-year urban history.

KR market metro station is more than a transit hub in Bengaluru today, as it stands at the heart of a project that showcases the city's 500-year urban history. The Banni Nodi (come, see) series, a wayfinding and place-making project, set up in the metro station and at the Old Fort district, depicts the history of the Fort as well as the city's spatial-cultural evolution. The project has been designed and executed by Sensing Local and Native Place, and supported by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).  Archival paintings, maps and texts,…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Wounds of cyber abuse can be deep, get expert help: Cyber psychologist

by October 3, 2024 Society
Cyber psychologist Nirali Bhatia says that parents, friends and relatives of sufferers must not be reactive; they should be good listeners.

As technology has advanced, cyber abuse and crime has also increased. Women and children are particularly vulnerable, as we have seen in our earlier reports on deepfake videos and image-based abuse. In an interview with Citizen Matters, cyber psychologist, Nirali Bhatia, talks about the psychological impact on people who have been deceived on the internet and the support system they need. Excerpts from the conversation: What should a person do, if and when they have fallen prey to a deep fake scam or image abuse? We need to understand and tell ourselves it is fake; that itself should help us…

Continue reading