A ₹100 crore ‘Kalam Knowledge Centre and Space Museum,’ planned in Thiruvananthapuram as a memorial to former President and ‘missile man’ A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is now stuck on the horns of a ‘heritage’ dilemma.
The trouble appears to be that the five-storey complex is planned in a heritage zone and barely a stone’s throw away from the Kowdiar Palace, a structure of great historical importance in the history of Travancore.
Although the State government has transferred 1.75 acres of land to ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), which is implementing the project, the Heritage Committee comprising government department representatives, architects and archaeology experts is crying foul.
At a meeting held last week, the heritage committee declined to clear the design, which features a five-storey structure plus a basement parking lot.
“Kowdiar is a designated heritage zone. Ideally, no such construction should be allowed there. If the former President were alive, he would never have allowed it,” Dr M. Velayudhan Nair, former director of the State Archaeology Department and one of the experts on the heritage panel, told The Hindu .
If it all land cannot be found elsewhere, it should be examined whether the centre could be re-designed in underground levels without marring the landscape contours of the heritage zone, Mr Velayudhan Nair said.
Heritage glitch
The ‘heritage glitch’ has now spurred fears that the project would be taken elsewhere. Thiruvananthapuram was chosen for the one lakh sq ft project on two counts; one, it is the birthplace and hub of the nation’s space programme and two, this is the city where Kalam spent his early years as a space scientist.
“The Kowdiar Palace, though not that old, has a special place in the history of Travancore. It is true that many high-rises have already come up in this location, which is unfortunate. But if more structures are allowed, it would only serve to destroy the entire region,” Eugene Pandala, a noted architect and one of the experts on the Heritage Panel, said.
VSSC had chosen Kozhikode-based architects N.M. Salim Associates through a design contest. On their part, VSSC officials said the land was identified by the State government.
Also, the VSSC had cleared the design for the centre, a VSSC spokesperson said.
The Knowledge Centre will boast a well-stocked library, readings rooms and seminar halls.
The space museum will have exhibits and hi-tech displays on the space exploration theme.
