House For Unmarried People

House for Unmarried People 12

Hyderabad’s First RCC Building ?

Photographs Credit - instagram-@artdecohyderabad

Art Deco architecture is a popular style of design characterised by geometric, fashionable or a sleek stylised façade using man made materials. It’s Journey in India started in Mumbai from where it travelled to Chennai through the film industry and then finally to Hyderabad in the 1930s.

Art deco buildings catch your eye quickly with their ornate windows, doors, railing etc, following geometric patterns. It was a style intended to be timeless and we can say that the goal was accomplished.

“House for unmarried people, 1940-1941”

3

Bachelors’

Quarters was once a hub for poets, writers, activists and painters—as Urdu faded away, it too lost its sheen.

Next to the Gandhi Bhavan metro station, living in the shadows of the newly renovated Mozamjahi Market is an architectural anomaly, the Bachelors Quarters. It is rightfully an anomaly as it clearly does not fit into the Indo-Saracenic vibe that has been created with the other heritage buildings. It took on a more literary, artistic, and activist role at this point in 1948, helping Hyderabad into a new era. This building was somewhere people could first showcase to their peers or perfect their material before disseminating it to the audiences.

It can be stated that this building lent a large helping hand when it comes to Hyderabad’s diverse artistic heritage and culture.

Historic importance

In

it’s early days the Bachelor’s Quarters had a bakery in the side named Vicaji’s in the 1950s. It is one of the first commercial additions to the building. Rumors say Vicaji’s are the first bakers who have invented the now famous Osmania Biscuit, a staple in every Hyderabadi’s diet.

The tenants, any Hyderbadi historian, local residents, and even the internet will tell you that the Bachelor’s Quarters is the first RCC building in Hyderabad.

But Hyderabad’s history shows that the previous statement might not hold good. Osmania Medical

college, only 1.5 Km from the quarters established in 1846 shows signs of being the first as well with other examples of the same. The Bachelor’s Quarters may not be the first RCC building but still holds a great amount of importance in Deccani culture.

The building served as a centre for the promotion of humorous poetry and Urdu language.

The model housed the office of Zinda dilane-Hyderabad, a humor magazine run by a forum for humorists.

7 Viccaji Bakery in Bachelor’s Quaters

Zinda dilan-e-Hyderabad logo

Restoration Since its construction in the early 1940s the bachelor’s quarters has seen a lifetimes worth of visitors, weathering and deterioration. It was scheduled to be demolished while being part of the former state of Andhra Pradesh but it was revived by the 39 tenants giving the now commercial building a life extension. Collecting approximately 1 crore renovations were made like the addition of support columns, floor finishes and a paint job. This heritage building was saved and after speaking to one of the tenants, Pasha Ahmed, we understood the passion and pride these people have for the building.

Before

After

Sectional Axonometric

Planning The Bachelor’s quarters in Hyderabad on the outside is filled with curves and organic features staying true to the Art Deco style.

Once you walk in you are met with a dog legged staircase and common restrooms. The core of the building consisting of the staircase and lobby-like area is the center and each floor spans off left and right linearly with corridors leading to the individual residential rooms. Past the rooms you reach differently shaped podiums which are large, open and perfect for interaction. They are present on the first and second floor and because of their different shape, they create an interesting view from the top floors.

Himesh Sharma

Sri Vindhya

Sravya Reddy