A new script for Writers'

As Writers' Building prepares for a radical makeover, it will be the first time since Independence that this 236-year-old heritage structure ceases to be West Bengal's power centre

It was in June this year that Mamata Banerjee spotted the newly-built 13-storeyed HRBC building near Howrah's Mandirtala while coming back from a poll rally ahead of the Lok Sabha by-election. Barely 100 metres away from Vidyasagar Setu, the building struck her as the perfect place to shift her office temporarily while the Writers' Building underwent renovation.

Preparations are already underway to make the shift. Come October, it will be the first time in years that the 236-year-old Writers' Building will cease to serve as the seat of governance in West Bengal. The building, with its 180 rooms, has been serving as workplace for over 4,500 state government staff for decades now. "The renovated Writers' Building, however, will host only 11 key government ministries such as home, finance and land, as against the 22 departments now," says a senior official with the state's Public Works Department (PWD), which had prepared a presentation based on the chief minister's wish-list. He adds: "Around Rs 200-250 crore will be spent on renovation to be carried out in six months, starting October."

The edifice, which was built in 1777 as office space for East India Company staff or "writers", has undergone several modifications in accordance with the different capacities in which it served over the years. The heritage structure that currently houses hundreds of cubicles overflowing with government files was once a campus of the Fort William College, complete with a hostel, examination hall and a library. Thereafter, the building served as a residential complex until it became the so-called "power centre" in the 19th century as the the principal office of Ashley Eden, then lieutenant-governor of Bengal.

The 128-feet-long balcony on the first and second floors, the wooden staircase, the iconic 32-feet-high columns on the balcony and the familiar Greco-Roman look, complete with the exposed brick, were some of the additions made in the course of time. A few blocks were created post-Independence as well, but the building has never been renovated on such a large scale.

The plan, according to PWD officials, is to replace the numerous small cabins and cubicles with spacious rooms, equipped with modern facilities. Banerjee also wants a few modern conference rooms, an auditorium in the courtyard and an in-house museum chronicling the history of Writers' Building.

"Everything will be done keeping the architectural heritage of the building in mind," Banerjee said, at a press conference, highlighting the need for improved "safety and security mechanism" in the building that has become a "tinderbox".

Keeping the facade intact, however, is going to be the biggest challenge, or so experts believe. "It's a welcome decision. But Writers' Building has been declared a Grade-I heritage structure by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. It is neither permissible nor possible to demolish the walls inside and do away with its genetic structure. This needs to be handled with care," says GM Kapur, convenor of the West Bengal chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach). In his opinion, a detailed plan should be based on accurate as-built drawings in order to coordinate essential renovation services like HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning), plumbing and electrical work.

The renovation of 135-year-old Bhau Daji Lad Museum (formerly Victoria and Albert's Museum) undertaken by Intach's Mumbai chapter in 2006, which won the prestigious Unesco Asia Pacific Award for Excellence, can serve as a blueprint for the state government.

Writers’ Building

The renovation of Writers' Building could prove to be extremely difficult, feels Santosh Ghosh, president, Centre for Built Environment - a forum for architects to share ideas for improvement of design and operation of commercial buildings. "It was originally meant as a simple three-storeyed structure. Additions were made at various points with the technology available at that time. You need to have a panel of experts and a detailed restoration roadmap," he says.

As of now, the state government has created an internal committee with chief secretary Sanjay Mitra at the helm. Plans are under way to rope in experts and a specialist agency to carry out the work. The government is also busy dealing with political opposition and convincing employees who are not keen to move out of their 'Lal Bari', as the building is sometimes called.

Banerjee recently announced that in the long run, the state might explore developing another government complex at Howrah's Durmujala stadium. "It will be difficult for employees to attend office at HRBC building as it doesn't have the same sort of connectivity as Writers'," says Malay Mukhopadhay, joint secretary of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)-affiliated Confederation of State Government Employees.

Banerjee, however, it seems has already made up her mind. But experts suggest that it could take much longer than the estimated six months for her to return to the renovated Writers' Building.