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Book of Memoirs: A Monograph on Brinda Somaya's Design Contributions
'Brinda Somaya: Works & Continuities' chronicles the architect's vivid experiences and works across various architectural projects
Aditi Sharma Maheshwari
7 May 2018
Blogger, dog mom
Brinda Somaya is a name to reckon with in the field of sustainable, conservational and restorative architecture. Her works are for the world to see, be it the iconic Rajabai Clock Tower in Mumbai, the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad or her widely appreciated works at the earthquake-struck Bhadli Village in Bhuj. Apart from that, she also has quaint residences, offices and hotels to her name, all adding to her diverse portfolio.
The book Brinda Somaya: Works & Continuities aims to explore her key projects, each of which shows deep understanding of context and sensitivity towards the environment. Here we look at six of her most prestigious works.
Photos by Somaya and Kalappa Consultants
The book Brinda Somaya: Works & Continuities aims to explore her key projects, each of which shows deep understanding of context and sensitivity towards the environment. Here we look at six of her most prestigious works.
Photos by Somaya and Kalappa Consultants
Bhadli Village and Vasant Vidyalaya School, Bhuj
2001-2003
This was the time of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake that not only shook the state but sent shivers down the entire nation. Somaya, along with her friend and social entrepreneur Sunil Dalal, decided to do their bit – they focused on Bhadli village, situated close to Bhuj, which needed to be rebuilt. The place, comprising 325 houses, temples, mosques and Vasant Vidyalaya School, with a population of 1500 people, had been completely destroyed.
The task to rebuild the place and the community thus began in 2001. The skilled workers of the village (such as tie-and-dye artists, engineers and local ecologists) worked with Somaya. The houses were rebuilt with concrete jalis that opened up for ventilation, the courtyards were designed to avoid direct sunlight, all fenestrations were lined with RCC (reinforced cement concrete) to strengthen the structure. The broken-down school was rebuilt with the addition of a crèche and a women’s centre. The villagers also helped build a temple and a dargah, planted trees and constructed a water tank.
See how this 1960s home is lovingly restored
2001-2003
This was the time of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake that not only shook the state but sent shivers down the entire nation. Somaya, along with her friend and social entrepreneur Sunil Dalal, decided to do their bit – they focused on Bhadli village, situated close to Bhuj, which needed to be rebuilt. The place, comprising 325 houses, temples, mosques and Vasant Vidyalaya School, with a population of 1500 people, had been completely destroyed.
The task to rebuild the place and the community thus began in 2001. The skilled workers of the village (such as tie-and-dye artists, engineers and local ecologists) worked with Somaya. The houses were rebuilt with concrete jalis that opened up for ventilation, the courtyards were designed to avoid direct sunlight, all fenestrations were lined with RCC (reinforced cement concrete) to strengthen the structure. The broken-down school was rebuilt with the addition of a crèche and a women’s centre. The villagers also helped build a temple and a dargah, planted trees and constructed a water tank.
See how this 1960s home is lovingly restored
Rajabai Clock Tower, Mumbai
2013-2015
Rajabai Clock Tower is an iconic must-see site in South Mumbai – the 280-foot 28-storey building completed in 1878 is a symbol of the city’s rich history. The restoration of the Rajabai Tower and the Library Building was realised as a public-private partnership project between the University of Mumbai and Tata Consultancy Services that provided funding for the restoration. The Indian Heritage Society was the facilitator of the project and Somaya, the lead conservation architect.
Somaya started work in 2013, where she initiated the consolidation of masonry walls, internal plastering, electrical and plumbing works and restoration of the timber vault of the main hall. Major roof repairs and restoration of the windows and doors was done. The original routes of the existing gas lines were used for routing the new electrical conduits. Venkatesh Rao, a clockwork restorer, ensured that the clock ran smoothly all through while the restoration work was in progress.
2013-2015
Rajabai Clock Tower is an iconic must-see site in South Mumbai – the 280-foot 28-storey building completed in 1878 is a symbol of the city’s rich history. The restoration of the Rajabai Tower and the Library Building was realised as a public-private partnership project between the University of Mumbai and Tata Consultancy Services that provided funding for the restoration. The Indian Heritage Society was the facilitator of the project and Somaya, the lead conservation architect.
Somaya started work in 2013, where she initiated the consolidation of masonry walls, internal plastering, electrical and plumbing works and restoration of the timber vault of the main hall. Major roof repairs and restoration of the windows and doors was done. The original routes of the existing gas lines were used for routing the new electrical conduits. Venkatesh Rao, a clockwork restorer, ensured that the clock ran smoothly all through while the restoration work was in progress.
The Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai
1994-2001
Those native to Mumbai are well aware of this famous school situated in Fort – the building has the look of timeless heritage. In 1991, The John Connon School Trust approached Somaya for restoring, upgrading and expanding the heritage building, which was showing signs of deterioration.
The work commenced from 1993, with the Middle School completed in 1995. The water leaks and seepages were repaired. The asbestos-sheet roofing was replaced and wooden canopies were removed to expose the grand arches and openings of the building.
Contemporary materials such as glass blocks and anodised steel sections were used for construction. Ceramic tiles were added to bring colour.
1994-2001
Those native to Mumbai are well aware of this famous school situated in Fort – the building has the look of timeless heritage. In 1991, The John Connon School Trust approached Somaya for restoring, upgrading and expanding the heritage building, which was showing signs of deterioration.
The work commenced from 1993, with the Middle School completed in 1995. The water leaks and seepages were repaired. The asbestos-sheet roofing was replaced and wooden canopies were removed to expose the grand arches and openings of the building.
Contemporary materials such as glass blocks and anodised steel sections were used for construction. Ceramic tiles were added to bring colour.
Work on the Senior School started in 1995 and was completed in 1998. New facilities were added, such as laboratories, AV rooms and additional classrooms. In 1999, work commenced on the Junior School and was concluded in 2001. An additional fourth floor was added within the existing height of the building. The verandahs were embellished with foliage and animal motifs. The louvred teak doors were restored and classrooms expanded to make them bigger and airier.
Courtyard House, Lonavala
2013
Imagine having a house on a slope, with a series of stepped courtyards flowing down through the levels … who wouldn’t want to live here? Just such a dreamy home was planned by Somaya, where the house was divided into two parts: the main area was designed around a large open-to-sky courtyard and the second, a smaller guest house was tucked into a hillside.
One of the seamless features of this home is the entrance that is hidden behind a downward slope, so when you drive past, you barely notice it. Large windows, courtyards, enclosed gardens and terrace reveal unexpected views and vistas of the outdoors throughout the home. These spacious elements also allow daylight to stream in and seamlessly connect the outdoors with the indoors.
Take a look at another house of courtyards
2013
Imagine having a house on a slope, with a series of stepped courtyards flowing down through the levels … who wouldn’t want to live here? Just such a dreamy home was planned by Somaya, where the house was divided into two parts: the main area was designed around a large open-to-sky courtyard and the second, a smaller guest house was tucked into a hillside.
One of the seamless features of this home is the entrance that is hidden behind a downward slope, so when you drive past, you barely notice it. Large windows, courtyards, enclosed gardens and terrace reveal unexpected views and vistas of the outdoors throughout the home. These spacious elements also allow daylight to stream in and seamlessly connect the outdoors with the indoors.
Take a look at another house of courtyards
St Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai 2001-2003
This Anglican church in Mumbai is a historic landmark in Fort, built in 1860. The Board of Governors for the church requested Somaya to inspect the source of a leak in the building. She realised that the water was leaking from the concrete slab of the flat roof. At that time, Somaya remembered a postcard belonging to Farooq Issa, a natural history aficionado and a keeper of India’s wildlife heritage. It was a B&W picture of the original pitched roof of the building. Somaya wanted to restore the cathedral’s original sloping roof and strengthen the structure, and the chairman and the governors were happy to have her on board. Sandhya Sawant, Somaya’s friend and conservationist from Mumbai, helped create the strategy for the restoration.
The RCC roof was dismantled and the the walls were lowered to the original level. The stones of the building were cleaned of all the pollutants. Swati Chandgadkar, a restorer of stained glass was called in to redo the stained-glass panels round the building. The ancillary buildings that housed the staff quarters and the Parish Hall were reconstructed.
The top photo is the cathedral before the restoration, the bottom photo is after restoration.
This Anglican church in Mumbai is a historic landmark in Fort, built in 1860. The Board of Governors for the church requested Somaya to inspect the source of a leak in the building. She realised that the water was leaking from the concrete slab of the flat roof. At that time, Somaya remembered a postcard belonging to Farooq Issa, a natural history aficionado and a keeper of India’s wildlife heritage. It was a B&W picture of the original pitched roof of the building. Somaya wanted to restore the cathedral’s original sloping roof and strengthen the structure, and the chairman and the governors were happy to have her on board. Sandhya Sawant, Somaya’s friend and conservationist from Mumbai, helped create the strategy for the restoration.
The RCC roof was dismantled and the the walls were lowered to the original level. The stones of the building were cleaned of all the pollutants. Swati Chandgadkar, a restorer of stained glass was called in to redo the stained-glass panels round the building. The ancillary buildings that housed the staff quarters and the Parish Hall were reconstructed.
The top photo is the cathedral before the restoration, the bottom photo is after restoration.
Club Mahindra, Kumbhalgarh
2005-2007
This hotel is cradled by mountains, lush greenery and open sky and it makes for a refreshing getaway. Designed by Somaya, the hotel follows a contemporary architectural language. It primarily focuses on the connection between the interiors and the exteriors, through the courtyards created at multiple levels of the building. There are groups of cottages set around a central court, and three larger structures stand separately.
For the construction, the local villagers were invited on board to embellish the structure with art. Dry masonry very specific to Rajasthan was employed. The ceiling of the hotel is painted by local artisans. Craftsmen were asked to make murals with broken glass and the furniture was designed by them as a way to showcase the traditional carpentry of the region. Green trees, mustard plants and cascading terraces open to the sky give this property a fresh, rustic, local flavour.
With essays by Jon Lang, Porus Olpadwala, Mary Norman Woods and Ruturaj Parikh, and Dialogues with Arun Shourie, Kamu Iyer and Saryu Doshi. Published in association with The HECAR Foundation, Mumbai
The book is available on Amazon
Read more:
Timeless Houses: Stunning Architecture You Wouldn’t Believe
Tell us:
Of these restoration, residential and commercial projects by Somaya, which one do you like most? Tell us in Comments below,
2005-2007
This hotel is cradled by mountains, lush greenery and open sky and it makes for a refreshing getaway. Designed by Somaya, the hotel follows a contemporary architectural language. It primarily focuses on the connection between the interiors and the exteriors, through the courtyards created at multiple levels of the building. There are groups of cottages set around a central court, and three larger structures stand separately.
For the construction, the local villagers were invited on board to embellish the structure with art. Dry masonry very specific to Rajasthan was employed. The ceiling of the hotel is painted by local artisans. Craftsmen were asked to make murals with broken glass and the furniture was designed by them as a way to showcase the traditional carpentry of the region. Green trees, mustard plants and cascading terraces open to the sky give this property a fresh, rustic, local flavour.
With essays by Jon Lang, Porus Olpadwala, Mary Norman Woods and Ruturaj Parikh, and Dialogues with Arun Shourie, Kamu Iyer and Saryu Doshi. Published in association with The HECAR Foundation, Mumbai
The book is available on Amazon
Read more:
Timeless Houses: Stunning Architecture You Wouldn’t Believe
Tell us:
Of these restoration, residential and commercial projects by Somaya, which one do you like most? Tell us in Comments below,
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