Architects restore HVN Bungalow to hold heritage tour

Bengaluru-based firm Esthétique Architects, which is restoring the century-old Government Girls High School (HVN Bungalow) in Malleswaram, will host a heritage tour of prominent buildings in the heart of the city on Monday.

Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, the scion of Mysuru’s erstwhile royal family Yaduveer KC Wadiyar and the Consul General of Germany in Bengaluru are among the prominent people who will take part in the tour.

Built in 1915, the HVN bungalow was the residence of H V Nanjundaiah, the founder-president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat. It was later donated to the state government for setting up a girls’ high school. The work to restore the building began in November 2020 with the aim to bring back its glory days. Down

Esthétique Architects founder Yashaswini Sharma said that the Madras terrace in the building would probably be rebuilt. “Several substructures need to be strengthened and we have to put in root barriers to prevent the vegetation from creeping into the walls,” she said.

The materials required to restore the building, which measures 50 feet both in length and breadth, have been sourced from different parts of the country.

“A masonry team from Jharkhand and a carpentry team from Kerala will be joining the workforce as the traditional building method is different from the modern one,” Sharma explained. “The team has examined the stones, lime mortar and bricks used in the building at the IISc lab and is trying to source the exact or nearest match for restoration.”

Experts think some changes in the restoration process are inevitable since the availability of materials will be a factor and adopting modern methods is necessary. “Teak, which can’t be procured extensively now, will be replaced by the Matthi wood in the building structure. The Victorian pattern glass extensively used in the building will be replaced by the stained glass obtained by the sandblasting method,” Sharma revealed.

The restoration process is said to take place in two phases. After the first phase is over by 2021 at a cost of Rs 2 crore, the proposed work for adaptive reuse, which would include a gallery and a museum, will begin early next year subject to approval from the government.

The dignitaries will be taken to the Janata Bazaar building and two structures built by German botanist Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel at the Lalbagh.