It was a challenge that very few architects would dare to undertake creating modern designs in the interiors of a building without disturbing the original load.
It was a challenge that very few conservation architects would dare to undertake - creating modern designs in the interiors of a building without disturbing the original load-bearing facade.
So, when principal architect Brinda Somaya gave her plan to the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) board to maintain the TCS House’s external masonry walls while gutting the internal structure and completely replacing it with a new reinforced concrete cement (RCC) framework, she received a quick “Yes”.
“The TCS House at Fort had deteriorated to such an extent that we could not repair it. And as a Grade II A structure, it could not be demolished. A middle path had to be worked out,” said Somaya.
The TCS House underwent a transformation in the past 19 months that is rarely seen in the architectural skyline of Mumbai. “While the 300 mm thick stone external walls remained firm, the columns and beams inside were strengthened.
With a public footpath along the road, the size of the external support frames also had to be restricted,” said Somaya.
The biggest fear for the entire team under project architect Homeyar Goiporia was the monsoon. With propped up stone walls on one side and high ground water table on the other, de-watering pumps were required to ensure that work was not disturbed.
The cycle of demolition and re-erecting the structure was simultaneous on the miniscule site, which also had an electrical transformer supplying power to adjoining buildings.
“The most critical work was to use hand-held chippers to demolish the existing columns and beams in a soft manner to ensure that the vibrations caused by cutting were not transferred to the stone wall. Since the concrete was slowly disintegrating, we could easily remove the debris,” said Somaya.
Today, the TCS House is a blend of colonial architecture and state-of-the art interiors. “There are some buildings that connect us to the past, showing us who we are. These are worth holding on to. The TCS House is one such building,” she said.
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