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COLONIAL PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE
Page 9
KARACHI MUNICIPAL OFFICE BUILDING (1931)
Architectural Blueprint
The foundation stone for the Karachi Municipal Office building was laid early in 1895 by His Excellency, the Right Honourable Lord Sandhurt, the then Governor of Bombay. It was originally to be built at another location on Bundar Road (presently M. A. Jinnah Road), but unfortunately construction could not be started at the time due to a shortage of funds. The present site was later selected and the foundations of the building were completed in 1915 according to the architectural plan. However construction on the actual building stalled again due to the First World War and did not recommence till November 5, 1927. The building was finally completed on December 31, 1931 at a total cost of Rs. 1,775,000.
Foundation construction was supervised by Measham Lea, the Chief Engineer of the Karachi Municipality, whereas the superstructure construction was supervised by Jehangir Setna, the Executive Engineer. The building was completed during the tenure of Jamshed Nusserwanjee (president of the Karachi Municipality), who consecrated the building on 7th January 1932 in the presence of Karachi's citizens. At the ceremony, Jamshed Nusserwanjee declared, "I consider the Municipal Office as a temple for the service of the poor".
(referenced from Lari, 1996)Architecturally, the Karachi Municipal Office building was the first important Anglo-Mughal edifice in the city. It was constructed out of pink-hued Jodhpur sandstone (of the kind also utilized in the Judicial Commissioner's Court), however, local Gizri sandstone was employed internally and at the rear to economize the construction cost. The architect for the building was James S. C. Wynnes, 'FRIBA, of Edinburgh' who used Mughal styled domes atop a renaissance layout in order to give the building an air of Muslim architecture. The building has a three story U-shaped plan with each corner capped by a large onion dome. The largely solid ends contrast the airy verandah arcading employed throughout the building. A large central clock tower marks the main entrance. This tower is also capped by a dome and has clock faces on all four sides that used to be visible from a large distance. The inscription around the front clock face dedicates the tower to the Silver Jubilee of King George V.
After independence, the building was occupied by the now defunct Karachi Municipal Corporation, which lent its currently popular name to the building: The KMC Building. Presently, the building is occupied by the offices of the City District Government of Karachi (CDGK). A large need for office space has resulted in the verandahs being covered by windows and getting absorbed into the main structure of the building. Currently this building does not face many structural threats, however the very undeveloped state of the areas surrounding it and the unsightly and careless development of apartment buildings in the area have led to its impact being marred to a considerable extent. There is a need to clean and repair the areas surrounding this building and to renovate some of the surrounding structures so this building can be seen again with its true beauty.
LEA MARKET (late 1920's or 30's)
The Lea Market is named after Measham Lea, the Chief Engineer of the Karachi Municipality in the 1930's. It is an elegant Anglo-Mughal building located near the heart of the city. The architecture of the market focuses on a tall clock tower that is capped by a cupola. The market structures accompanying the tower on either side employ sloping roofs and ogee arches in their facade.
Currently this market is gravely threatened as it is heavily encroached upon, and the surrounding area has been made into a bus stand for intercity buses.
Contribution note: More information and better pictures regarding this building are required. Please help the website by contributing them.
KARACHI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (Originally, Indian Merchants Association, 1935)
The foundation stone of this building was laid by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on 8th July, 1934, and it originally housed the offices of the Indian Merchants Association. This building is another significant Mughal revival building designed by A. H. Agha. A large mughal arch defines the main entrance and is crowned by a set of chhattrees giving it a sense of grandeur. A side entrance is also reached by a Pilasters and carved mughal arches frame the window openings. The building is capped by a large domed pavilion on the roof. This building is currently occupied by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce, however its architecture is threatened with decay, disrepair, signboards, electrical wirings and encroachments and is in dire need of renovation to preserve its original beauty.
(photo credit: Karachi under the Raj, Yasmeen Lari)Contribution note: Better pictures of this building are required. Please help the website by contributing them.
KARACHI COTTON EXCHANGE (1940)
The Karachi Cotton exchange was the city's first major Art Deco building. It was built in the 1940's and is located on Mc Leod Road (presently I. I. Chundrigar Road). The architecture of this building shows influences from the Hoover factory in Ealing.
