The Thomas House, a Grade II heritage building nestled in the heart of Mumbai’s Fort precinct, has been honoured as an International Winner by the Chicago Athenaeum in the category of Restoration/Renovation. This prestigious accolade was announced as part of the Chicago Athenaeum’s celebration of over 130 of the world’s best-designed buildings and landscapes.
The restoration process included critical structural repairs, such as crack stitching and stone masonry restoration, and effectively managed space constraints. Remarkably, the building’s original features, including its lift and stone staircase were preserved, highlighting the project’s commitment to maintaining historical integrity.
The successful revitalization of Thomas House not only enhances the building’s historical and cultural significance but also sets a precedent for the preservation of similar heritage structures along D.N. Road.
Restoration and Adaptive Reuse of Thomas House, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, 2023
The Restoration and Adaptive Reuse of the Thomas House marked the fifth restoration project by Somaya & Kalappa Consultants Pvt. Ltd. (SNK) for the Anglo-Scottish Education Society in the historically rich Fort area. It was built in the early 1900s as the Indian headquarters of Eastman Kodak, featuring a neoclassical façade with Corinthian columns and classical embellishments). In 2017, the Cathedral and John Connon School acquired it.
The G+3 building consisted of a composite stone and brick load-bearing wall of volcanic rock (Malad stone), igneous rock (Grey Basalt stone), and limestone (Porbandar stone).
The restoration aimed to adapt the building from a bank to a school while addressing modern structural and safety standards, amidst challenges from ongoing metro construction and severe weather. The process included structural repairs, such as crack stitching and stone masonry restoration, and addressed space constraints and logistical issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and Cyclone Nisarga. The building’s unique features, including its original lift and stone staircase, were preserved.
This project not only revitalizes the Thomas House but also sets a precedent for preserving similar heritage structures along D.N. Road, contributing to the cultural and historical enrichment of Mumbai’s Fort area and showcasing successful conservation in a densely populated urban context.
About the Award:
The Chicago Athenaeum unveils over 130 of the Best-Designed Buildings and Landscapes from around the world.
Since 2004, the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, together with The European Center for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and Metropolitan Arts Press, Ltd., has organized the International Architecture Awards as a way to honor the best, significant new buildings, landscape architecture, and planning projects designed and/or built around the world’s leading architects, landscape architects, and urban planners practicing nationally and internationally.
The International Architecture Awards give an important global overview of the current aesthetic direction of today’s commercial, corporate, institutional, and residential work to the real estate, banking, business, and corporate community, as well as to the press and general public worldwide.
The International Architecture Awards are dedicated to the recognition of excellence in architecture and urbanism from a global point of view.
Gallery:
Drawings:
Project Details:
Name: Thomas House
Built-Up Area: 45,000 sq. ft. approx.
Architects: Somaya and Kalappa Consultants Pvt. Ltd. (SNK)
Lead Architects: Brinda Somaya and Nandini Sampat
General Contractor: Ushta Infinity Construction Co. Pvt. Ltd. (UICCPL)
Client: The Cathedral and John Connon School, The Anglo Scottish Education Society
Text: Somaya and Kalappa Consultants Pvt. Ltd. (SNK)
Photographers: Somaya and Kalappa Consultants Pvt. Ltd. (SNK)
