#sketchatsite

[radicalarchitecture-blog1]

Sometimes a plastered wall becomes a sketchpad. Sketch by @janani.vedha. #architectsitevisit #sketchatsite #sitevisit #architectsketch #radicalarchitecture #lifeofanarchitect #beingradical #sketchtastic #architectsthing (at Ramanagar, Karnataka)

[hemusartblog]

Pilot Theatre | Madras Series | Live Sketch 

Watercolours, Pen and ink on Moleskine Large Sketchbook 

  Pilot theatre is one of the oldest theatres in the city which has a single screen facility. Cinema world underwent a great change during the post-independence period through the introduction of wide screens which were in vogue back then (1950-1960) and this theatre was the first one here to have such a screen with comfortable seating arrangements and modern facilities (back then) and a 70MM screen movie hall.   

  It is famous for the screening of English movies dubbed in Tamil and is the only theatre in the city which has a thread screen. It faces heavy competition with the rising and prominent multiplex culture. 

   I believe that this is as much a part of the glorious Madras's heritage as any other as it stands currently, frozen in time and very retro. It's located in the centre of the city and offers an interesting contrast to the setting it's in. It speaks volumes of another time, silently, in the midst of the fast-pacing modern city. 

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[hemusartblog]

Victoria Public Hall and The Ripon Building | Madras Series 

Pen and Ink, Watercolours on Moleskine Large Sketchbook 

 These heritage buildings are located on EVR Periyar Salai and is quite a beauty to look at. There is the Central Railway Station (1873) (A Gothic Revival structure, later on a combination of Romanesque and Gothic) and the Victoria Public Hall (1886) ( Indo-Saracenic-Romanesque) and the Ripon Building (1909) (Neoclassical style: Combination of Gothic, Ionic and Corinthian) on this single stretch, one after the other. In other words it's our legacy and heritage, a timeline of history on a main road. 

  The Victoria Public Hall was built by Namperumal Chetty, designed by Robert Fellowes Chisholm. It has been constructed with red bricks, the building has an Italianate tower capped by a Travancore Style roof. It was started out with a purpose to be a town hall and later, eminent personalities like Gandhi, Sardhar Vallabai Patel, Mahakavi Bharathiyar etc addresses masses here. It was the hub of social and public happenings and the first cinema screening in Madras was actually held here.

   The Ripon Building was built by Loganatha Mudaliar. It is currently the seat of Madras Corporation. It's an all-white building built using stock brick, lime mortar. The Westminster Quarter Clock is quite the eye-catcher. 

We Madras-vasis are sitting on a gold-mine of heritage. Yet, most of us are blissfully unaware of it. Madras is such a beautiful city. Should we remember to conserve our heritage by all means possible, resurrect the Cooum river to her old glory, where do you think we'll be? Spread the word. Awareness is the first step towards action.