23 Feb 2019
Course: History of Architecture and SSBC
Semester: 2nd semester (A and B sections)
No. of Students: 70
Dates: 23rd February 2019
Faculty In charge: Shubhi S., Neeraja Jayan
Accompanying Faculty members: Shubhi S., Neeraja Jayan, Shilpa MP, Nagaraj
The students of 2nd semester, B.Arch. were taken on a site visit within Bangalore on 23rd February 2019. They visited St. John’s church and St. Francis Xavier cathedral in Frazer town followed by a visit to Fort high school at Chamrajpet. The visit was aimed at enhancing their understanding of Christian architecture as a part of their course curriculum. Fort High school is a heritage building where conservation and restoration efforts are being carried out in a controlled and scientific manner by INTACH Bangalore. The visits gave students an insight into the importance of heritage structures, construction techniques as well as a peek into the world of architectural conservation which can be a career option for them in future.
The visit began with a guided walk through St. John’s church in Frazer town. The church is the fourth oldest Protestant church in the city, with a distinct red edifice and towering steeple, rising out of the leafy surroundings. The Church was consecrated on 12th April 1858 by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Dealtry, Third Bishop of Madras, and dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. The local people called the Church “Sigapoo Oosimatha Koil” which means the “Red Church”. Students were introduced to the remnants of Gothic style such as the tall steeple, pointed arches, stained glass windows and buttresses observed in the building. Timber trusses on the inside were also of great interest to the students as they are studying about trussed in SSBC this semester. A short sketching exercise was carried out within the church as students reconstructed the plan, section and details for the building.
We continued our walk with a visit to St. Francis Xavier Cathedral .St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral has its origins in a church by the same name, which has a history of nearly 165 years. In 1940, the church was designated a cathedral and is a landmark structure in the erstwhile cantonment area. Students were able to comprehend the Latin cross plan with its semicircular apse and multiple chapels. The pendentive domes over the Aisles and the monumental dome over the crossing were clear demonstrations of the construction techniques that had been discussed in class over the previous week. Students were able to understand the effect of scale, controlled lighting and façade treatments on the overall impact created by a building. The Romanesque- like exteriors with solid massive stone walls and a renaissance style dome with clerestory windows in the drum were of great interest to the students.
We further proceeded to Fort High school at Chamrajpet for the next part of our visit. The restoration of Fort High School, which began in April this year, is being undertaken by INTACH at a cost of 2.5 crores. The Colonial-style structure was built during the time of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysuru. It has a central courtyard with rooms opening out on all sides. The ornamental features and detailing, such as cornices, wooden fascia, arched doors and windows, are in typical Colonial style.
Restoring a heritage structure is a challenging task, one that requires the restorer to safeguard the original architectural style and the integrity of the building. Students got a chance to interact with the structural engineer and conservation architects at the site. INTACH architects demonstrated the preparation of Lime plaster to students. This was followed by a lecture session with the in-house structural engineer who elaborated on the use of specialized composite trusses at the building. Students interacted with the traditional craftsmen, and were able to get hands-on experience of working with lime and mortar, which is being used to restore a portion of the building. The final session introduced the students to the art of restoration/ reconstruction of arched mouldings as a façade details. Students were enthralled to see the other facet of architecture which deals with conservation and preservation of heritage structures and techniques.
Some of the direct outcomes of the visit were:
The site visits brought alive the history of architecture including characteristic styles, construction techniques and material usage, which otherwise is limited to mere theory in the books. We could sense a better sense of understanding and appreciation for the concepts covered in class after students got to experience them firsthand. We would like to thank the management and team at REVA University for their support and encouragement towards a greater learning experience for the students.
