Introduction
In the midst of Bangalore’s bustling retail district and a mere 500 yards from the iconic Commercial Street, a new cultural landmark has come up quietly and unobtrusively. This single-storeyed structure, with its taupe exterior and arched windows, sits incongruously amongst motley shops and homes.
Its existence is an important departure from the other developments that are springing up in the vicinity, and its success will be a litmus test—can such a project thrive in this setting; will it be a precursor for other such repurposing, not just in this historical neighbourhood, but also across the city?
Historical Context and Revival
Sabha occupies a corner plot with two oblong halls, one sitting directly with its long face on Kamaraj road and the other parallel to it and separated by a court. The colonial-era buildings were originally constructed in the late 19th century and were gifted to the RBANM’s Educational Charities in 1946. They housed a school here for the Tamil community staying in the area.
The school stopped functioning about a decade ago, causing the buildings to lie derelict until the affable ‘patron saint of lost causes’ V. Ravichandar set his eyes on it. The present restoration has been undertaken by the Ammini Trust that he helms. Ravichandar has been the main driving force behind institutions like the BIC (Bangalore International Centre) and festivals such as the Bangalore LitFest. His motivation for funding the restoration was clear: “The city needs more public spaces for the arts and culture. They are underfunded and shrinking so rapidly. In olden times, royalty patronised the arts, and now others must take it up.”
For him, creating Sabha is about being an exemplar, with the hope that others will follow, noting that, “Of course, it is more expensive to refit an older structure, but look what you get—a distinctive building!”
Conservation Challenges
Ravichandar came with the rich experience of running BIC since its inception. He was keen to follow a similar model, where the space would be financially self-sustaining and rentals would help cross-subsidise other uses. He also wanted the spaces to allow for maximum functional flexibility. Hundredhands, the architectural firm that had designed the BIC, was a natural choice.
However, in conservation projects, the expertise of the contractors is equally important. Principal architect Bijoy Ramachandran concurs, “We were fortunate to have had Nilesh Thakkar and Prajakta Chaugule of Jeernodhar Conservators (restorers), and Shaju and Shiva of Shilpi Wood Crafts (roofing carpenters) work on this with us, as we had no previous experience of conservation work.’
When they started the restoration, what met them was a picture of utter decrepitude. Age and neglect over a long period had played havoc with the structures. Insensitive additions marred the beauty of the original buildings, as debris had accumulated everywhere. Considerable damage was seen in the waterproofing, at the roof, and wall junctions. There was algae formation and seepage on vertical surfaces, flooding from the floor, and the woodwork was rotting at multiple locations. Every problem needed a unique strategy for remediation.
Existing Structures
The smaller hall (Hall A) had a flat roof and a central line of wooden columns, naturally lending itself to use as a space not requiring clear sightlines. The larger hall (Hall B) was column-free and roofed with Mangalore tiles supported on wooden trusses, and could be planned as a performance space. In both, the first task was to remove the wooden and masonry partitions that had divided the interiors into smaller rooms and create two large spaces.
Damage in the Walls
The walls, originally built in brick with lime mortar, showed significant damage in many sections. These were replaced with new brickwork, but since older bricks are thinner than modern standard 4-1/2″ thick bricks, each new brick was resized by shaving off the additional thickness. These were placed inside the walls by scooping out the old brickwork and ‘stitched’ to the existing brickwork using stone pieces. In other places, steel clamps were inserted to join sections. Some locations received lime slurry ‘injections’ to strengthen the wall. The walls were finished with rough lime plaster that gives the surfaces a naturally weathered appearance. This has been texturally contrasted by the smooth Chettinad-style lime plaster on the splayed jambs around the arched windows.
Traditional Materials and Methods
Notably, the restorers employed several traditional materials and methods in the restoration. Projects of this nature help in retaining the skills and market for the traditional crafts that we are losing so rapidly. All lime used—for mortar, plaster, and wash—was prepared on site. Crushed lime was mixed with a liquid decoction of jaggery and dried ‘kaddukai’ (myrobalan) that had been soaked for 3-4 days to form the mortar mix. The restorers also used ‘bel’ (wood apple), ‘reetha’ (soap nut) and aloe vera—items definitely not part of the modern builder’s vocabulary.
Flooring
The original flooring in Hall A was with 5-inch-thick granite slabs laid over rammed earth, while Hall B was covered with Cudappah slabs, similarly with earth below. Both faced the same problem with water seeping in every monsoon, as the water table here is very high. When the flooring was removed, they revealed a maze of tunnels below inhabited by rats.
Everything was ripped out. An RCC slab was laid over the soil, acting structurally as a raft and a water-resistant barrier. Massive sumps were constructed, with power drains under the floor connecting to them. The granite slabs removed from the smaller hall were repurposed as sills and for other stone requirements. The floor is now beautifully laid with mirror-polished rectangular ‘kota’ slabs of varying widths and alternating leather-finished strips. The foot-wide boundary on all sides is in plain cement, curved up flush to meet the wall above. Rough granite flooring in the larger hall replaced the Cudappah – these were cut to size and laid in the verandahs outside.
Structural Systems
In the smaller hall, each bay is marked by plastered pilasters, topped by a cornice band. During renovation, when the plastering was removed, massive 11-feet-high stone columns were discovered behind. Working with older buildings constantly brings one face to face with such surprises. These were carefully extracted (many now feature in the landscaping) and the columns rebuilt with new brickwork. The pilasters have been chased to accommodate wiring that connects to electrical raceways laid under the floor.
This hall also features a line of central wooden columns, and these required careful intervention as their bases had rotted. Using chainsaw and chisel, compromised bases were removed and replaced with new stone ones, with the resized original wooden bases wedged between. (In the interim, when the wooden bases were removed, the columns were literally floating above the floor!)
Roof Systems
As both spaces were roofed differently, they needed to be tackled differently. Hall A had a Madras terrace construction, which had suffered extensive water damage. Under the ceiling, a large number of the primary wooden beams were replaced with new ones crafted from local ‘mathi’ wood. On the terrace, the entire waterproofing was redone in the traditional manner, but using new materials. Old tiles were carefully cleaned for reuse elsewhere, while damaged sections were relaid with new ‘chaturbille’ tiles placed diagonally on edge between beams, and then overlaid with lime concrete and weathering tiles.
Hall B, which would be used as the main performance space, has a sloped roof supported by a wooden truss. Here too, considerable damage had occurred at the roof-wall junctions due to inadequate overhang. The team decided to brace the truss with metal at critical junctions, extended the overhangs, placed cement underboard above wooden purlins, added a waterproof barrier, and finally finished the roof with Mangalore tiles. Modern acoustic, electrical, air-conditioning and lighting systems have been installed in the truss, and retractable seating will help maintain flexibility in its usage.
Utilities
Behind Hall B, a rear courtyard holds the restroom, utilities and a cafeteria. It’s a neat functional separation. This is a new space, and the architects chose to give a nod to old Bangalore by using a monkey top roof with stylized metal brackets. A nearly invisible metal grill between the road outside and the courtyard helps bring the surroundings into this space, and when the café is up and running, it will provide a spectacle for passersby. This is something a city desperately needs as more and more spaces shut themselves off from view.
Restoration Strategies and Urban Context
The old buildings in Sabha possess a beautiful proportion difficult to achieve in modern construction. The performance hall, with its trussed roof and arched windows, has a grandeur that is elevating in a way that few contemporary spaces are. Perhaps the best strategy here was, as Ramachandran put it, to step back, to step out, not to bring your hubris as an architect into the work. The quiet elegance of the renovation, perhaps, is a consequence of this thinking, and it has adequately paid homage to Sabha’s historicity.
Undoubtedly, the decision to retain the built structures and the courts in (more or less) their original form has been the correct one. Not only has it given Sabha all manner of flexible spaces, but there is something ineffable about being able to touch nature easily when you are in a box. Perhaps the only disagreement is with how completely the restoration has chosen to conceal the structural damage. In this choice, a certain scrappiness, or edginess, has been lost. That makes Sabha sit very differently in its surroundings.
This is a bold experiment, given the costs of reconstruction, the difficulties of finding traditional craftspeople and materials, the physical context, the pressures of urbanization and the restrictions imposed by lack of space – there is no parking, seen as absolutely necessary for any public space planned now. Will the larger neighbourhood be influenced by this experiment?
Ramachandran notes, “There still is a lot of wonderful old fabric around this part of the Cantonment left which is currently unused and in bad shape. But the costs of rebuilding are prohibitive and land holdings are complicated, so unless the government provides tax incentives or legislation, conservation initiatives are unlikely to succeed.”
For now, Sabha provides a ray of hope to those who are fighting a desperate battle for the city’s vanishing heritage.
Read more about the work on Sabha:
CVS Sabha School, Bangalore – Restoration Project by Hundredhands by ArchitectureLive
