Over 100-year-old HVN bungalow gets a shot at restoration

It was the first residence of H. V. Nanjundaiah, founder-president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, who later donated it to the government to start a girls’ high school

March 13, 2021 12:51 am | Updated 12:52 am IST - Bengaluru

The heritage house at Malleswaram in Bengaluru.

The heritage house at Malleswaram in Bengaluru.

In a city where residents are ready to take to the streets when it comes to protecting what is left of Bengaluru’s famed nature and heritage, one structure with a glorious past is set to get a shot at revival. The HVN bungalow, built in 1915 by H.V. Nanjundaiah the founder-president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, has been taken up for restoration and adaptive reuse.

“The HVN bungalow measures about 50 feet in both length and breadth. It was at first the residence of H.V. Nanjundaiah, who donated his bungalow and precincts to the government to start a girls’ high school as he was keen on the education of the girl child,” explained Yashaswini Sharma of Esthetique Architects, which is undertaking the restoration work.

Since then, the bungalow served as a school until the 1990s. It continued to serve as an office for school staff and the Karnataka Open University until the time restoration work commenced.

Speaking about how the project came about, Papa Reddy, executive engineer, Malleswaram, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), said all government and civic schools are being renovated and upgraded under the Malleswaram Assembly constituency under the guidance of Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan, which is how the HVN bungalow also benefited. “It is a heritage building and we were keen on having it restored to its past glory,” he added. Malleswaram is Dr. Narayan’s constituency.

The restoration began in November 2020 and was preceded by a year-and-a-half of research and interviews with the descendants of Mr. Nanjundaiah. The process involved detailed documentation, and condition assessment, including sub-structure analysis, said Ms. Sharma.

“We have analysed the stone, brick and lime mortar of the building so that we may keep to the material integrity during the process of restoration. The stone sample was analysed by the Centre for Earth Sciences at IISc. and has been located to be from the Closepete belt. The brick has good compressive strength and we are using bricks of higher compressive strength for repairs. Mild cracks in masonry walls have been stitched with Cuddapah stone, and granite walls have been stitched with granite,” she added.

Hidden gems

They also found artistic, colourful sill bands that were hidden beneath layers of white paint, as well as art work in cornice mouldings which depict grape vines and other creepers, all of which are being restored. Samples of Victorian patterned glass panes and stained glass panes of windows and doors that were damaged will be replaced by sourcing near exact matches.

The bungalow is being considered for adaptive reuse with museum and gallery spaces and interactive zones.

“The galleries will showcase the history of Malleswaram, and we hope to have 3D replicas of two inscription stones of the area. There will be display panels showing the plan of Malleswaram with its landmarks. These will have QR codes that can be scanned for information,” said Ms. Sharma, adding that a small library and a Kannada lab are also among the proposals.

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