Inferno - Chennai's Heritage in Flames

         How often does one manage to see a building of fire? Every few months if you live in the city of Chennai. It was a pleasant Saturday afternoon, the weather had cooled down a little after the few thunder showers in the city in the last couple of days. I busy studying the busy streets of Broadway for an Urban Design project when a couple of people accidently ran into me. This was a common in the busy streets of Broadway so I continued to carry on looking at the road widths and encroachments. As I walked on I saw a crowd gathering on the road right outside the State Bank of India building. Another young man ran into me and I caught his gaze. I looked up to see what he was staring at and that's when I saw the SBI go up in flames. Thick smoke billowed from the Bank of Madras, one of the most exquisite examples of Indo-Sarasenic architecture in Chennai. The bank constructed in 1843 was an amalgamation of many regional banks in Madras in the 19th century. The fire raged on for two hours, the first and second floors completely gutted, it was finally put out at 7 pm. At least the response of the fire department was quick enough and the building was saved before it was reduced completely to ash.

Bank of Madras on Fire, 12th July '14

    Similarly, the government run Co-Optex textile showroom turned into a camp fire site in November last year causing a traffic jam that lasted an hour at a very crowded junction at Egmore. The building that is at least a decade old has caught fire more than once.
     The Indo-Sarasenic Moore market, a landmark in the city, was razed to the ground in a fire by 1985. It was rebuilt and the new structure has caught fire twice since then. The cause of these fires are often electrical short circuits. The cause of the Moore market fire outbreak was never actually found and the investigation remained inconclusive, but rumor has it that it was started by Southern Railway officials who wanted the land back as the market stood on Railway property.      
       So what is it with these frequent fire outbreaks? Just sheer negligence and public insensitivity towards heritage structures.
      While the government is busy building monuments and memorial arches, converting buildings from state legislatures to multi-specialty hospitals, nothing is done to protect or maintain existing structures which actually have historic significance. What is the future of these buildings that have survived a fire? They are treated as an invalid. They are cleared out, locked up and left to decay and crumble until some suited-up industrialist or politician with a receding hairline decides to tear it down and build something more safe and user-friendly. Some heritage buildings stand even till today over grown with weeds and moss with no future intended for them
            Some of these buildings are actually ancestral property owned by affluent families in the city. Having interned with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage in Chennai I have seen many proposals for renovation and conservation of heritage buildings shot down for reasons like "relevance to a modern context" and "risk of building collapsing a few years after renovation". Here 'modern' buildings less than a few months old are collapsing killing hundreds and yet people don't seem to trust an old building that has survived centuries. Ironic?
             While the governments in Brussels and Italy are busy formulating and implementing policies to save their historic cities and minimize the impact of urbanization, our Indian cities are losing a lot of it's colonial neighborhoods to the demand for housing and sprawling metros.
            My idea of a Utopian city in India would be one where the past, present and future co-exist, where history is an integral part of a cityscape and where people respect spaces and structures and Chennai city seems to have a really long way to go.


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Pop Quiz with Uncle Matthew

        I finally found a little breathing space from my hectic final year course work to write this blog post. All of us at Architecture School would have at some point had to do a survey to collect data to support theories and claims part of a project. So this particular magazine article required one such survey. The survey required participants to answer a questionnaire on reuse of buildings and preservation of historic buildings in the city. 
        Going door to door, to all the houses in my neighborhood, I finally dropped by Uncle Matthew's. His 42 year old house was two doors away from home. A retired Southern Railway employee, Uncle Matthew was known for his miserly existence and his extremely cranky moods. Yet everyone had to agree the man was a walking encyclopedia. There was nothing this man didn't have an idea about. My mother had talked me into making Uncle Matthew take the questionnaire. 
        Now, having lived in the neighborhood for 21 years, Uncle Matthew and Aunty Alice had practically watched me grow up. I spent considerable amounts of time playing with their granddaughter in my childhood. 
        When I did go across to their house I realized I hadn't been to their house in over two years. I noticed how frail they had become and how oblivious I was to the neighborhood and its people changing around me. Stepping into their dimly lit home was like rewinding my life at least 10 years. The house hadn't changed much and I made myself comfortable in one of the chairs in their living room almost by habit. After pleasantries were exchanged I came down to business. It was time for Uncle Matthew to answer the questionnaire. 
        My first question was if historic buildings were relevant to a city and if they needed to be preserved. Uncle Matthew, smiled, smirked more like, adjusted his dhoti, and continued slicing bits of green mango into a plate. He asked me if I knew what the first Colonial building to be erected in Madras was. Now here I was a final year student of architecture planning to make a living out of Architectural Conservation and writing, talking about neighborhood revitalization, the question caught me completely off guard. I had a reputation of being one of the smart kids of the colony and really couldn't afford to let that image slide from the minds of these old folks so I made a good guess and answered "Fort Saint George". 
        I had just initiated my a Pop Quiz. Uncle Matthew didn't seem to want to give up so easy. He quizzed me about the history of the neighborhood to national economy to current affairs. At the end of it I had learnt about the first railway line in India from Mumbai to Thane, the old city limits and how many roads in Chennai got their names from important British figures. Question after question I felt stupider and stupider and my wiz kid image was hanging in the balance. Finally I managed to steer the conversation back to the survey and asked Uncle if he would ever feel the need to move out of the colony. 
        Uncle Matthew offered me the plate of mango slices which I was in no position to refuse. So as I munched on the little bits of mango which uncle had so carefully cut for me, he enthusiastically began a history lesson on the neighborhood and the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. 
         One and a half hours later, Mr. Matthew had convinced me to go around the neighborhood and look at it with a different perspective this time and I did. Soon after I left, I went up to Loco Works Bridge to catch the sunset. Now THAT was another surreal experience altogether. 

Well, the purpose I initially went for was left half done but I did go home that evening a little wiser and with a brand new perspective for my project. It's amazing how much one can learn from just talking to people and keeping our eyes and ears open to all that's around us. 

Loco Works Station- To infinity and beyond

  
   

Black Holes in the City- Chennai's Dying Malls

Spencer Plaza, Mount Road, Chennai

        Strolling into Spencer Plaza, at Mount Road, made me wonder if it was a weekday or weekend and a quick check on my phone confirmed it to be a Saturday. This mall which is a landmark in the city of Chennai and as large as three phases of shops and boutiques seemed absolutely deserted. A few visitors were walking about casually looking at the merchandise on display, some munching away corn and cookies from the respective stalls. Walking down the narrow aisles, trying very hard to evade an occasional clothes rack of night gowns and tee shirts and a scary mean-looking shop owner trying to get you to buy a carpet or a printed salwar I noticed most of the shops were on clearance sale or were packing up for good. I sneezed half a dozen times. The place hadn't seen a mop in eons.
          I remember coming to this mall as a child for everything that I wanted to buy, be it clothes for my birthday or a new bag and stationery for a new year at school. We always lost our way, my mother and I, and every visit to this mall was an adventure. The mall built in 1863 and reconstructed in the 1980s was one of the largest in South Asia at the time and the largest departmental store in India. Now people visit the mall only for specific purposes, mostly to purchase cheap electronics and accessories for phones and computers and to get a tattoo or piercing.
          There are other rather old malls and plazas in the city, Spencer's was just one such example, which were THE places to go to on a weekend when people just wanted a break from the monotony of life. They now seem to be dying centers of activity as their newer and fancier counterparts coming up in the city cater to the current standards of living of people. The newer malls seem to draw the crowd consistently with luxury brands, restaurants, clubs, food courts and multiplexes which offer new age entertainment, while the old ones reply on their regular customers to remain in business. Some of the older malls thrive also because they house offices in their premises whose occupants aren't in no hurry to move out.
           These dying activity centers are now a good breeding ground for antisocial activity as security is limited to none. The small crowd and empty shops result in many a dark corner and safety is not guaranteed. These places are thoroughly exploited by couples to get some alone time as they use the small crowd and the little chance of being caught by their angry conservative families and friends who might be at the mall at the same time, to their advantage.
             Many of these malls have historic value as they were built as early as the 1800s and I always feel that any building of some historic significance adds to a cityscape. I think its really up to the owners of these gigantic commercial spaces to keep these places alive and . Be it marketing gimmicks like flash mobs and badminton tournaments or just bringing in merchandise and the kind of entertainment people are looking for at present days. I went about asking my shopaholic friends what they thought these old malls lacked. The most common answer was lack of security, cluttered aisles, dim lighting and clouds of dust lingering in the air which gave the place an eerie atmosphere and terrible customer service. So it is clear that a better effort has to be made in order to maintain the space and provide enough security and services so people are not put off when they visit. If the owners of the various boutiques took the effort to make their shop fronts attractive and be a little more customer friendly rather than scaring potential clients by harassing them to make a purchase at their shop, it would automatically make shopping more enjoyable. Perhaps social media and newspapers can help highlight this issue and this blog post I hope makes a small difference.

Fountain Plaza, Egmore, Chennai

Post in the comments below if you feel something can be done to help bring activity back to these landmarks.
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This article was inspired by a post on a social networking site by a good friend +Manjith Mothiram who addressed this issue. Cheers to that!
               

10 Things You Will Find Yourself Saying at Architecture School

   You are bound to meet a variety of annoying people at Architecture School and since murder is a crime the only way to vent all the frustration is sarcasm. Here are 10 things you will find yourself saying to people you want to punch in the face or want to erase off the face of the planet with black magic.

#1 What you say: Oh that's a really nice model you got there!

What you're thinking: You made a model? Seriously? Okay. Now I'd rather just go back home than fail! Thanks to you!!

   Yeah, so all of us have that one friend/classmate who will show up on submission day with a whole bunch of plans and sections and that incredibly detailed scale model and they will make it a point to rub it into your face. They're always so charming when they do ask and the model always looks really fancy, you really cannot comment otherwise.

#2 What you say: Very interesting concept! I would really like to see how this comes out.

What you're thinking: Please! Even a kindergartner can come up with better stuff.
        You know that very enthusiastic friend who asks you what your building'g concept is just so you'd ask them in return? Yes! those are the ones with the most ridiculous ideas on the planet and they want you to know it. They want everyone to know that they think they have found the missing link in the evolution of man.

#3 What you say: I think you will make a very good architect.

What you're thinking: You keep going like this and MY future as an architect looks very bright! Muahahaha!
      To the classmates you had in architecture school who made you wonder so very often what on earth they were thinking when they decided to dive right into the construction field. They are probably better off designing clothes or maybe sand castles?

#4  What they say: You're really not going to give that in tomorrow right?

What they're thinking: Oh I'm definitely giving it in tomorrow. I'm just making sure you aren't. *smirks*

      I'm pretty sure all of us has fallen for this classic con at some point in architecture school. I bet its the same sly fox that reminds the professor about deadlines and home work and who's always talking to the principal and walking around trying to look a very important person. They make sure all their work is done and they also make sure none of us have.

#5  What you say: That's some really nice detailed drawings you've got there.

What you're thinking: Right, So maybe I should use a hundred more line weights to beat that.

           There is always that one guy in the class who was born holding a mouse and a keyboard and whose first words were PLINE, HATCH and VIEWPORT. They always seem to have the most elaborately detailed elevator details and joinery using a whole range of line weights and templates.

#6  What you say: You're structure looks very similar to mine. What a coincidence!

What you're thinking: You ripped off my idea. I know it and I'm letting you know I know.

           It's incredible how people can just copy off other people's work and act like there's nothing wrong in getting a little inspiration. It's almost like they have a built-in photocopier in their brain and there's nothing you can do about it because they will just flatly deny any allegations of plagiarism. Some people are really devoid of a conscience.

#7  What you say: I really prefer working alone. You understand right? 

What you're thinking: No, I'm not antisocial. I just do NOT want to team up with you. That's it.

           This is for that boy/girl who will team up with you and then enslave you. You find yourself unable to deal with the constant nagging and complaining and bossing and its too late in the day to pull out so you grit your teeth and tolerate it till its over. I'm sure all of us who went to architecture school had to team up with that one person who was a pain in the neck to work with. Soon enough we find ourselves using this classic dialogue. "I like riding solo. Thanks!"

#8 What you say: You know, I totally agree.

What you're thinking: Hell no. You are an idiot! I have no choice.

            Not restricted to just Architecture School. This is for all those people who will tirelessly churn out facts and opinions that are so wrong and defend them so furiously you don't have a choice but agree with them and spare yourself another earful of nonsense.

#9. What you say: Nice shoes! *imagine fake Adidas*

What you're thinking: AdiBas? You really think we don't know the difference?

          So these guys are Lil Wayne's best buddies, always flaunting their *fake* Adidas and Jimmy Choo not to mention the Chinese rip-offs of the iPhones and Beats Audio. They just want everyone to know they are living the life of the rich and famous and will go to any length to ensure they own the latest tech and designer clothes. We aren't fooled though.

#10 What you say: Are you going to read that?

What you're thinking: Put the book back so I can borrow it and actually read it.

           Sometimes I stand in the department library and watch people borrow books I can bet they're going to use only as a temporary coffee table until its time to return it. Yet they will parade around the campus with the book in their hand just to let everyone know that they are such avid bookworms. We have an intellectual in our midst everyone! NOT!
  
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Cupid's Guide to an Architect's Heart

       To most of you young people, architects are, thanks to books like The Fountainhead, a breed of highly intellectual humans with gigantic egos and strange ways.
       After five years or more of Architecture School, we have been trained to observe spaces, spot errors and constantly be in touch with our surroundings. This just makes us a tad bit annoying at social gatherings, romantic dinners and similar situations because we are quite finicky.
      So for those of you completely smitten by an architect/architecture student or probably already seeing one, this post is for you!

#1. We like people. We LOVE the intelligent ones.
If you are loud and constantly lecturing us about how to take care of our skin and eat a lot of fruit, chances are we aren't interested. Its okay to talk about Noddy and Britney Spear's wardrobe malfunctions and try to convince us Santa is real once in a while but if you do it on a regular basis you are probably being mutilated, shot or decapitated in our heads as we listen. We may also just yawn a lot. So take the hint and STOP TALKING!!

#2. We like it when you appreciate what we do.
Tell us if you think our renders look nice or if our sketches are interesting. It also doesn't hurt to read up a little on what we do and how we do it! An architect would definitely love it if they got intelligent criticism from someone outside the field and definitely from someone they like, a lot.

#3. Stationery, Stationery STATIONERYYYY!!!!!
We can never have too much paper or too many pencils. Buying us stationery every now and then is a gesture that goes a long way. Some of us probably have our very on collection of expensive fountain pens and colored post-it pads. Christmas would be an ideal time to replenish our stash of tracing paper and printer ink.

#4. We love it when you give us hand-made gifts.
We spend our whole lives thinking out of the box, making our own scale models - cutting and sawing  fiber board or balsa wood and using bottle caps and sponge to make domes and tree tops  so we really appreciate a nice DIY gift on a special occasion. So handmade cards, useful little knick-knacks and trinkets are on top of the list for those looking for Valentines gift ideas. Witty references to the architectural world when you personalize our presents can win our hearts *snaps fingers* just like that!

#5. Make us Coffee/tea/a meal. 
We spend a lot of days working late into the night. A nice hot cup of coffee or tea at 3 am with a smiley face would earn you those brownie points. Some times we are so engrossed in our work or trying to use every minute left to whip up something substantial for a submission we forget to EAT! It's true! We honestly don't realize we just missed lunch or dinner! So just get us that meal and show us you care!

#6. Be stylish. Stay classy.
Taking us out for a romantic birthday dinner? Going with us for a building's inauguration? Take the trouble to dress well and look smashing for the event. Nothing like a classy +1 by our side to boost our ego. Don't get too carried away though. Your architect boo will be the least bit impressed if you arrive looking like Marie Antoinette going to a ball or like Robinson Crusoe.

#7. Give us a hand. Give us our space. 
If you see us struggling with a scale model and need an extra hand, just sit down and HELP! It's not very complicated to paint a piece of cardboard or cut out windows. Any little thing you can do to help make our work easier goes a long way. That includes you running to the plotters while we put together a presentation. We will be ever so grateful.
Most creative people tend to be moody. We have our high and lows. We maybe sad and we honestly don't know why. Sometimes maybe a meeting didn't go too well or some professor shot our ideas down. Don't volunteer advice. We know we can do better and we are already brainstorming the next course of action. If we tell you what went wrong its simply because we are analyzing and re-evaluating the incident. Be a good Listener and give us our space when we need it. We will come back to you, eventually!

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