St. Andrew's Kirk

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RSP III RELATED STUDY PROGRAM

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ST. ANDREW’S KIRK POONAMALLEE HIGH ROAD

CHENNAI, TAMILNADU INDUBHAI PAREKH SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

ST. ANDREW’S KIRK(1821)

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CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION RSP 3 BRIEF 2. CONTEXT :LARGER REGIONAL CONTEXT: CITY AS CONTEXT – MADRAS

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3. HISTORY: SOCIAL AND ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF THE REGION

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4. ARCHITECTURAL TYPES, STYLE AND HISTORY SPECIFIC DOMAN (CHURCES OF MADRAS)

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5. BUILDING LOCATION WRT 25KM AREA 6. BUILDING LOCATION WRT 3KM AREA

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7. OTHER IMPORTANT BUILDINGS IN THE VISCINITY

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8. ABOUT BUILDING SOCIAL IMPORTANCE UTILITY AND CAPACITY SPACES IN THE BUILDING MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTION

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9. DRAWINGS 10. FIELD DRAWINGS

DONE BY:

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11. REFRENCES

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KRISHNA PATEL ABHISHEK PANELIA KEVAL SAKARIA DILIP SHARMA

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ACKNOLEDGMENTS

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ST ANDREW’S KIRK TRUST ARCHITECT: BENNY KURIA KOSE

SPECIAL THANKS

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YATIN MISTRY LAKSHMI NAIR

GUIDE HITESH CHANGELA RSP III

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RSP-3 format for the undergraduate trainee batch, 2012-13 Follow step by step method to identify a building for documentation and for the final submission of the RSP work

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STEP 1 (on A4 paper) •Map monuments and/or Important Buildings (typifying regional architecture of the area you are working in…) approx. radius of 25 to 50 kms •Mapping is identifying building, taking its few photographs and locating it in map (can use Google earth for the same) •A brief note on social & architectural History of Region

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STEP 2 (on A4 paper) •Map all significant Buildings in the area of your selected documentation site (approx radius of 1.5 to 2 kms) •Brief note on architectural types/ style & History (of relevance)

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STEP 3 •Identify small building (approx 300 sq.mt.) having architectural importance but not very known and preferably not documented i.e. small institutional building…. Tomb, mosque, church, temple, office, etc built before 1960’s

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STEP 4 (on A4 paper) •Minimum 6 sketches of over all Perception, Detail, Exterior, Interior, detail and overall perspective (all sketches should be full paper and not thumbnail size)

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STEP 5 (on A4 paper) Soft line drawings (field drawing with measurements) •Over all lay out – building placement in neighborhood/ map of campus/ complex (not to be measured) •All floor plans, section (min 3), all elevation and detailed wall sections (min 3) •Construction details of Roof, stair, intermediate floor (if needed), door, window, structural projection (Jarookha, Balcony), column & Beam assembly (don’t miss any)

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STEP 6 (on A2 “Garware” tracing paper) Hard line (Hand drafted) composed scaled drawings •Layout plan or map of campus/ complex (not in scale), to understand bldg’s location •Plans, Sections & Elevations 1:50 / 1:100 •Detailed wall sections 1:10 / 1:20 •Construction detail 1:1 / 1:5 / 1:10 Chose appropriate scale as per building size, focus of documentation and detail

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NOTE: •Aim of mapping is to get over all sense of region you are working in and its architectural type •Same time mapping will help you to understand building placement and orientation with in city/ area •STEP 1 to 5 needs to be compile in A4 size report – portrait format •Report should have copy of Hard line drawing reduced to A3 paper size •Submit final drawing in A2 size separately with format been followed last year’s RSP •Same time submit scan copy of final drawing in CD •Organize your time well so identification of good site can be done timely, same time don’t get over ambitious in selecting too large building

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LARGER REGIONAL CONTEXT: CITY AS CONTEXT – MADRAS SOCIAL AND ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF THE REGION

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Chennai architecture is a confluence of many architectural styles. From ancient Dravidian temples built by the Pallavas, to the Indo-Saracenic style (pioneered in Madras) of the colonial era, to 20th-century steel and chrome of skyscrapers. Chennai has a colonial core in the port area, surrounded by progressively newer areas as one travels away from the port, punctuated with old temples, churches and mosques.

The European architectural styles, such as Neo-Classical, Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance, were brought to India by European colonists. Chennai, being the first major British settlement in the Indian Subcontinent, witnessed several of the earliest constructions built in these styles.

The initial structures were utilitarian warehouses and walled trading posts, giving way to fortified towns along the coastline. Although several European colonists, namely, Portuguese, Danish and French, initially influenced the architectural style of the region, it was chiefly the British who left a lasting impact on the city's architecture succeeding the Mughals in the country. They followed various architectural styles, with Gothic, Imperial, Christian, English Renaissance and Victorian being the essentials.

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ARCHITECTURAL TYPES, STYLE AND HISTORY

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Indo-Saracenic and colonial style

Mylapore Kapaleeshwarar temple

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In the city, one can notice the British influence in the form of old cathedrals and the mix of Hindu, Islamic and Gothic revival styles that resulted in the IndoSaracenic style of architecture. Many of the colonial era buildings are designed in this style. The colonial legacy of Chennai is most apparent in the vicinity of the port. South of the port is Fort St George. The stretch between the fort and the port is occupied mostly by the High Court buildings and several clubs, some of which have existed since the British era. A little south of the fort, across the Cooum River, is the Chepauk cricket stadium, another British staple, dating from 1916. North and west of the port is George Town, where dockyard workers and other manual laborers used to live. George Town is now a bustling commercial center, but its architecture is significantly different from areas closer to the fort, with narrower roads and tightly packed buildings. Most of the colonial-style buildings are concentrated in the area around the port and Fort St George. The remaining parts of the city consist of primarily modern architecture in concrete, glass and steel.

The Government Museum, Egmore, in the IndoSaracenic style.

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The Chepauk Palace, designed by Paul Benfield, is said to be the first IndoSaracenic building in India. However, most of the Indo-Saracenic structures in the city were designed by English architects Robert Fellowes Chisholm and Henry Irwin and can be seen across the city.

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Chepauk Palace

Government College of Arts & Crafts 1850 RSP III

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Art deco

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In the early 20th century, several major modern institutions such as banking and commerce, railways, press and education were established in the city, mostly through colonial rule. The architecture for these institutions followed the earlier directions of the neo-classical and the indo-saracenic. The residential architecture was based on the bungalow or the continuous row house prototypes. From 1930s onwards, many buildings in George town were built in the art deco style of architecture. Art deco, a popular international design movement that flourished between the 1920s and 1940s, was adapted by cities such as Bombay and madras almost immediately.

Although Chennai does not have a uniform art deco skyline like the way mumbai Madras veterinary college does, the city has significant pockets that are clearly completely art deco. A long stretch along NSC bose road beginning from EID parry and a similar stretch along the esplanade used to have several examples of public buildings in the art deco style. Yet another instance is along the stretch of poonamallee high road between Chennai central and Chennai egmore railway stations. Similarly there are many areas in south Chennai with bungalows designed in similar fashion.

These buildings were departures from earlier models in that they were planned without external verandahs and incorporated new technology such as the lift.

Cantilevered porches that showcase the potential of concrete are also seen in some structures. Externally, the stylistic devices such as stepped motifs and sweeping curves used in areas like grilles, parapet walls along with vertically Bank of Madras- 1896 proportioned windows impart a coherent appearance.

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Agraharam (Tamil style) architecture

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A house constructed in the 1930s Some residential areas like Tiruvallikeni (Triplicane) and Mylapore have several houses dating from the early 20th century, especially those far removed from arterial roads. Known as the Agraharam, this style consists of traditional row houses usually surrounding a temple. Many of them were built in the traditional Tamil style, with four wings surrounding a square courtyard, and tiled sloping roofs. In sharp contrast, the apartment buildings along the larger roads in the A house constructed in the 1930s same areas were built in 1990 or later.

Typically, agraharams can be seen where an entire street is occupied by Brahmins, particularly surrounding a temple. The architecture is distinctive with Madras terraces, country tile roofing, Burma teak rafters and lime plastering. The longish homes consisted of the mudhal kattu (receiving quarters),irandaam kattu (living quarters), moondram kattu (kitchen and backyard) and so on. Most houses had an open to sky space in the centre called themitham, large platforms lining the outside of the house called the thinnai and a private well in the backyard. The floors were often coated with red oxide and sometimes the roofs had glass tiles to let in light. The agraharam quadrangle seen in Triplicane is around the Parthasarathy Temple and its tank, while that of Mylapore is centered around the Kapaleeshwarar Temple and its tank. About 50 families continue to live in the agraharams in Triplicane. However, many of these houses are being replaced with modern multi-storied apartments, resulting in a reduction in their numbers.

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Post-Independence

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After Independence, the city witnessed a rise in the Modernism style of architecture. The completion of the LIC Building in 1959, the tallest building in the country at that time, marked the transition from lime-andbrick construction to concrete columns in the region. The presence of the weather radar at the Chennai Port, however, prohibited the construction of buildings taller than 60 m around a radius of 10 km. The floor-area ratio (FAR) in the central business district is also 1.5, much less than that of smaller cities of the country. This resulted in the city expanding horizontally, unlike other metropolitan cities where vertical growth is prominent. On the contrary, the peripheral regions, especially on the southern and south-western sides, are experiencing vertical growth with the construction of buildings up to 50 floors.

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Chennai Central Station Many historic buildings are still fully functional and host government, business or educational establishments. Chennai is home to the second largest collection of heritage buildings in the country, after Kolkata.

Chennai Central Station

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Fort St. George

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Built in 1639, Fort St George, used to house the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and Secretariat, which have since moved nearby to a new complex on Anna Salai. Tipu Sultan's cannons decorate the ramparts of the Fort's museum. The Fort has the country's tallest flagstaff at a height of 150 feet.

Fort St. George

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Madras High Court

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The Madras High Court is the largest judicial building in the world after the Courts of London. It is a good example of the Indo-Saracenic style and was completed in 1892.

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Valluvar Kottam

Madras High Court

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The Valluvar Kottam, constructed in 1976, is an auditorium in memory of the poet-saint Thiruvalluvar. All 1330 verses of the poet's epic, the Thirukkural, are inscribed on the granite pillars that surround the auditorium. There is a 101-feet high temple chariot structure with a life-size image of the poet in it. The base of the chariot shows in bas-relief the 133 chapters of the Thirukkural.

Railway stations There are a number of railway stations of interest in Chennai, primarily built throughout the colonial era. These include the Egmore station, the Royapuram station dating from 1856, the Chennai Central station dating from 1873 and the Southern Railway Headquarters built in 1922.

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Other interesting buildings

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The Government Museum (designed by Henry Irwin and completed in 1896), the Valluvar Kottam Senate House of the Madras University and the College of Engineering, Guindy are some more examples of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture.

Other buildings of architectural significance are the Presidency College, built in 1840, the Ripon Building (now housing the Chennai Corporation) dating from 1913, The War Memorial, Vivekanandar Illam, The Museum Theatre and the Ramakrishna Math temple. Adjoining the Governor's residence (Raj Bhavan) at Guindy, there are five mandapams (or memorials) dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, the first Indian Governor General C Rajagopalachazi, former Chief Ministers of the state Kamaraj and Bhaktavatsalam and one to Martyrs in Chennai Victory War Memorial general.

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IMPORTANT BUILDINGS AROUND 2 KM RADIUS

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1.Egmore railway station 2.Chennai central 3. Victoria Public Hall 4.Ripon Building 5. Government Museum Chennai 6. Mosque - Khaleel Cap 7. Lutheran Church

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1.Egmore railway station, 2.Chennai central, 3. Victoria Public Hall, 4.Ripon Building 5. Government Museum Chennai 6. Mosque - Khaleel Cap, 7. Lutheran Church RSP III

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CHURCH ARCHITECTURE – MADRAS

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Madras is incomparable for the sheer quality and variety of its church architecture. In all the length and breadth of India, there is no other city which can display anything approaching the same wealth of interesting and historically significant buildings that are still in regular use of Christian worship.

There was extensive building by the Portuguese during their period of occupation. In Mylapore, at that time a modest fishing village close to the mouth Luz Church of the river Adyar, three very beautiful churches- two from the 1600s and one from a century later. These are St. Lazarus, the Luz church ant the Descano church.

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Earlier, in 1680, within the walls of Fort St. George itself, the English East India Company erected the Protestant Church east of the Mediterranean Sea, the St. Mary’s for the use of the garrison and European merchants of the colony. It was also intended to provide an arena in which the governor could display himself along with his family, friends and colleagues, before the congregation. Most important, the church provided to be safe haven from the cannon balls of the French men of war at sea. The brick walls are almost 2m thick, and the immensely strong barrel vaulting over the nave and aisle is 0.6m thick at its shallowest point and constructed of the same material. Strength and refinement St Mark Church Chennai 1800 was achieved at the same time.

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For reasons mainly political and economic, the 18th century did not see the establishment of many new church's in Madras. By its close, however, the Fort and Black Town were no longer capable of containing all the functions of government and commerce, let alone the burgeoning local population.

Moreover, now that the risk of war had to some extent receded, the more affluent officers of the company and some businessmen had from the late 1750s started to build for themselves loosely grouped colonies for what were called ‘garden houses’ or villas in spacious green compounds.

Tucker Church Chennai 1820 Once the 19th century was under way, it became more and more a matter of urgency to have a church available on the plain itself, the distance back to the overflowing Fort and St. Mary's all four miles having become very uncomfortable in the heat of summer.

St George’s was a noble conception and work of scholarship. Elegantly proportioned and splendidly detailed, it was, for the first time in India, totally in accordance with established classical principles. The portico of the western end of the nave incorporates a porte-cochere or covered canopy for carriages, and must be among the finest anywhere.

St. George’s is in every respect an inspired building, but what de Havilland went on to achieve in the St. Andrew’s Kirk in Egmore, a few years later, must be judged to be a work of genius.

In order to support the tremendous weight of the chruch, its portico and tower, a firm base upon which to lay a foundation was needed. St Andrew’s principally of brick, including the dome, the inner surface of which is incidentally painted a rich blue and decorated with stars to resemble the night sky in Scotland, supporting the dome are 16 columns of stone, with half of these in granite

St George Cathedral RSP III

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The St. Andrew's Church, Egmore is popularly referred to as 'The Kirk'. It was consecrated in 1821 AD especially for the Scottish Community in Chennai. The church was the result of efforts of Major Thomas Fort de Havilland and Colonel James Caldwell. St Andrew's Kirk was built to serve the members of the Scottish Church serving in the East India Company.

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It is one of the finest examples of Georgian Church architecture in Asia and was modeled on the plan for St.Martin's Lane, London. The East India Company had borne the expense of the construction of St George's Church of England and therefore decided to construct a church of the sister kingdom, Scotland. Thus St. Andrew's Kirk came into being.

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The plan was not suited for the hot and humid climate. The proposed roof was a big challenge to implement. Financial constraint was also there. The dome had to be built with the help of masonry, which suited the local climatic conditions. A Bishop of the Church objected to the construction of steeples outside of Scotland saying that it was "unusual and unconstitutional" practice.

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The height of the dome of the St. Andrews Kirk is 51.5 ft in diameter from inside.

Sixteen fluted Corinthian columns support it. The dome was constructed using the 'Syrian masonry' technique. The dome was painted with lapis lazuli shade of blue. It is believed to be one of the few in the world to be supported by columns of such huge height. The interiors are done with woodwork of mahogany and black and white chequered marble floor, which adds to the beauty of this church.

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The land was purchased because of the low land value and its proximity to the St Martin Church London Fort St. George. But the land was on marshy lowland and was subject to sinking and flooding. The 14ft foundation of the Kirk sits on a bed of pottery and brick wells 9ft deep. The wells were sunk into the marshy sand by first weaving a wicker ring to sit under the brick or pottery ring. The walls of the well were built with specially made curved bricks or pottery rings cemented with watery mortar over it. The entire tube was then bound completely with coir rope.

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The well digger gets into this tube to excavate the hole beneath, taking utmost care not to upset the perpendicularity of the constructed cylinder. The total of 150 wells were set close to each other and were filled with material whose volume did not alter in water. The foundation was created as a strong series of connected low vaults that could serve as catacombs if necessary in the future.

The building was kept in equilibrium as all the wells were placed on the same type of surface and would all be affected uniformly. On the April 6, 1818, Rev. Doctor John Allen D.D laid the foundation stone of the church. The circular central congregation hall is cool and airy.

St Andrew Kirk RSP III

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The beauty and grace of the church is by lovely stuccowork of Madras Chunnambu or lime stucco renowned for its superiority. The pillars and walls are decorated with a relief of grapes nestled in leaves. The two enormous stained glass panels glow on the back wall depicting scenes from the Bible. They are examples of excellent artistry by 'W&J Jkier, artists in Stained Glass, Glasgow, Scotland'. 15 enormous olive green and gold pipes are arranged in a beautiful vertical and lateral pattern to make an astounding organ. Behind the pipes, connected mass of levers, hinges, pipes, chords and beams are placed that made this complex instrument work.

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A narrow stairway leads to the roof of the main structure.

There is the bald top of the dome. Two new stainless steel bands reinforce the dome, which had begun to crack. At the front end is the steeple itself. A bell is suspended from a large beam in a square room having a beautiful sound.

An interesting story is associated with the bell. The original bell was 4 m in diameter and was meant especially for this Church. It was cast by an experienced bell founder from Bengal, in a Powder foundry, which is otherwise used only for military purpose. The British bureaucracy had, however, refused to spare the founder of the establishment to cast the bell. The bell was duly hung and tolled for the first time at the funeral of the aged pastor. Very soon a controversy surrounded the bell, following the complaint by the jealous powder- mill founder who was sidelined from this project. The bell was brought down and the Military Board ordered an inquiry.

The bell was ordered to be sold and was broken up and replaced by the existing one.

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I.P .S DONE BY: KRISHNA PATEL, ABHISHEK PANELIA, KEVAL SAKARIA, DILIP SHARMA

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