1 day Ago
A group of workers carefully rake out the lime mortar between the bricks of the 120-year-old administrative block of Madras Veterinary College . Others replace worn-out ornamental Pothiyal (bracket stones) with new ones, while some stand on scaffolding, removing dirt from the external walls. These men have been hired by the Public Works Department 's (PWD) heritage building centre and conservation sub-division to restore the administrative block, which houses the offices of the Dean, Vice Chancellor, and Swaraj Hall.
Geetha Natarajan, assistant executive engineer of the heritage building centre and conservation sub-division, along with L. Vasanth, assistant engineer, are overseeing the project. The Indo-Saracenic building, constructed by Masilamony Mudaliar in 1904, features a grand central block flanked by two smaller wings, attached at the first-floor level by an arcaded bridge over an arched carriageway.
The building includes verandahs at both the front and rear. The Madras Terrace roof boasts elaborate stone trimmings over pointed arches, with infill panels depicting animal figures in the central bay. PWD officials stated that the doors and windows are made from teakwood.
The ground floor features Cuddapah flooring, while the first floor has clay and ceramic tile flooring. A preliminary assessment revealed that the building is structurally sound but showed signs of deterioration, particularly on the stone surfaces of the exterior columns and arches. "There were some cracks in the Madras Terrace roof, and the clay tiles on the first floor were damaged.
Plastering had deteriorated in parts of the walls and ceiling due to age and weather conditions. Some doors and windows were broken or damaged," said a PWD official. The PWD has restored the first floor by grouting and stitching the wide cracks in the Madras Terrace roof using lime mortar, replastering the brick walls, pillars, and arches.
"There is extensive stonework in this building. We replaced the bracket stones, koombuvari (battlement stones), and other ornamental designs with new ones," said a PWD official. The entire work is expected to be over in a month.
"The work on the ground floor is also nearing completion," said an official. MSID:: 113461980 413 |.
