Conservation & Upgradation of Victoria Public Hall, Chennai

Victoria Public Hall, or the Town Hall, is a historical landmark building inChennai, named afterVictoria, Empress of India. One of the finest examples ofBritish Architecturein Chennai and was built to commemoratethegolden jubileeof Queen Victoria. Victoria Public Hall designed by Robert Chisholm (18401915) and built by Namberumal Chetty; the building is an excellent example of Indo-Saracenic architecture.

Its history can be traced to a meeting in March 1882 at the Pachaiyappa's Hall in George Town when some leadingcitizensdecidedtoconstructa town hall The building is located on EVR Periyar Salai nearMoore Marketand between Ripon BuildingandChennai Central Railway Station. The building is designed with load bearing construction technique and has an exposed brick facade with a distinct tower capped with a Travancore-styleroof.

I, along with the office team undertook a thorough investigation of the existing site conditions and factors that affect the property. An on-site examination of the interior and exterior building fabric of Victoria Public Hall was undertaken toidentifythevariousbuildingissues and also the underlying source of these issues. This process also allowedustoidentifykeycharacter defining architectural features of thebuilding.

The condition of all four exterior façades, and the condition of the building materials in each room within thebuildingwasdocumentedbytaking detailed measurements, noting room sizes, types and sizes of all openings, building levels and heights. During this process any alterations made to the building and missing architectural featureswerealsonoted. In addition, the entire site was photodocumented to create a visual record ofthebuildingatthetimeofinspection.

The building has sloping roofs and no flat terrace hence the condition of the roofing members was investigated from the first-floor level. With the assistance of the Greater Chennai Corporation, a drone survey of the building was conducted which assisted in analysing the condition of the roof, valleys and gutters. This survey also allowed an up-close look of the otherwise inaccessible tower, which is a distinct architectural feature of the building. Team ANLA also engaged with various officials from the Greater Chennai Corporation to understand prior repairs done to the building, possible threats to the property, and the client’s requirement.

A complete and comprehensive site documentation was achieved during multiple site visits and a complete set of documentation drawingswasprepared.