Trustees' 'sacred duty' to heritage wins them international awards

Written By Unknown on Senin, 09 September 2013 | 22.23

MUMBAI: Muncherji Cama calls himself a "peculiar man". The head of the Garib Zathoshtiona Rehethan Fund, which owns 50 buildings housing poor Parsis, chooses to repair and conserve the structures rather than raze them to exploit real estate.

Three months ago, he engaged architect Vikas Dilawari to restore five buildings in the Lal Chimney compound near Mumbai Central. That was one of two conservation projects that helped Dilawari figure on the scroll of honour of the prestigious annual Unesco heritage awards.

Last Tuesday, the Royal Bombay Yacht Club (RBYC) Residential Chambers near the Gateway of India, and Lal Chimney, won him two 2013 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Dilawari received the Award of Distinction for Lal Chimney and the Award of Merit for RBYC.

"Through this project we have proved that it is economical and wiser to repair than redevelop. It helps retain the socio-cultural fabric and does not put a load on the fragile infrastructure either,'' the architect said.

Cama said, "Had I reconstructed the buildings my expenses would have mounted and the poor tenants would have to pay more taxes and higher outgoings. They can hardly afford it. I am a peculiar man who looks upon trusteeship as a sacred duty. I would not use the trust for commercialism. I make enough money from my business."

Likewise, the restoration of the RBYC residential quarters at Gateway required Rs 3.5-4 crore that was sponsored by members themselves. Celebrations began as word arrived of the honour. RBYC president Captain Sohrab Kapadia said, "I am absolutely delighted. We have fulfilled a longstanding requirement by repairing and waterproofing the building. Its external beauty has been restored and the old turrets look magnificent. In the next phase we intend to conserve the interiors as well." The RBYC is distinct from the Yacht Club across the road which is owned by the department of atomic energy. It has club and residential facilities for its members and expatriates.

The awards achieved a hat-trick for Dilawari. In 2012, his restoration of Sethna Buildings in Tardeo for Cama's trust had won the Unesco Award of Distinction.
This year international conservation experts reviewed 47 entries from 16 countries across the Asia-Pacific region.


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