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Henry Irwin, the builder of palaces
[1]
The High Court of Madras, designed by Henry Irwin
After Chisholm[2], architecture was never the same for the
British Raj and among hissuccessors, it was Henry Irwin who was to
contribute the most to the Madras skyline.
Irwin unlike Chisholm[3] was well known when he came to Madras
in the 1880s.
He was of Irish origin, born in 1841 in County Kerry. Not much
detail is available on hiseducation. In 1864 he joined the Public
Works Department under the Admiralty inEngland and two years later
moved to Ceylon where too he worked in the PWD. In 1868he moved to
India, once again in the PWD and in 1872 he became the
ExecutiveEngineer, Nagpur and Central Provinces. One of his
earliest architectural commissionsappears to have been the Christ
Church at Panchmarhi, the hill-station for the CentralProvinces.
This was completed in the 1880s.
Irwins meteoric rise in architectural circles coincided with the
arrival of Lord Dufferinas Viceroy of India in 1885. Irwin was then
working on the Ripon Hospital in thesummer capital of Simla and
among the first ceremonial functions for the new Viceroywas the
inauguration of this gothic-styled hospital, made almost entirely
of wood. TheViceroy was evidently impressed. Irwin became
Superintending Engineer, SimlaImperial Circle of the Central
PWD.
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Among Dufferins pet ideas was the construction of a viceregal
palace in Simla and Irwinwas entrusted with the task. Over the next
three years the edifice rose, with the Viceroyvisiting the site
almost every day while he was in Simla and making changes much to
thedespair of everyone on the job. It was completed nevertheless in
1888 and received amixed reaction. Even today, Irwins name can be
seen engraved on the main portico ofthe building, an honour shared
by the Viceroys name as well. During this time, Irwinwas to design
several other Simla buildings the Town Hall, the Post and
Telegraphoffice, the PWD offices and the Army headquarters. Of
these, the Town Hall was not asuccess. Perhaps because his
attention had been diverted to the Viceroys palace, Irwinoverlooked
the use of substandard materials in the Town Hall and within 20
years of itsconstruction it had to be dismantled. But all that was
in the future and when he leftSimla in 1888, it was in a blaze of
glory.
From the cool climes of Simla Irwin arrived in hot Madras, as
Consulting Architect for
the Madras Presidency, a post that Chisholm[4] had just
resigned, in a huff. It is notcertain if the two met but there was
to be a change in Irwins style. Evidently, he was arespecter of
local traditions. In Simla his work was largely gothic but in
Madras heembraced the Indo-Saracenic. And in that style he was to
build at least eight massiveedifices.
Among the first projects were the High Court[5] and Law College
premises. Begun in1889, this was clearly inspired by the Gothic Law
Courts of London but at the same timeit paid handsome tribute to
the Indo-Saracenic. Constructed largely by T NamberumalChetty, the
great building contractor of Madras, it remains an architectural
delight eventoday. The High Court was completed in 1892 and
inaugurated by the Governor.
Work began thereafter on a couple of landmark buildings in
Egmore. These were at thePantheon complex and comprised the
Connemara Library and the Victoria MemorialHall. Irwin designed
both, once again the execution being that of Namberumal.
TheConnemara Library can barely be seen in its entirety today
thanks largely to a colourlessnew block. But it is clearly inspired
by the Viceregal Lodge, Simla while incorporatingelements of the
Indo-Saracenic. Its interior is a riot of stained glass and relief
plaster.The Library was completed in 1896 and is still one of the
four National Libraries ofIndia. The old block was magnificently
restored a couple of years ago but still remainsout of bounds for
visitors.
Next to the Library is the Victoria Memorial Hall[6], originally
intended as home for the
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Victoria Technical Institute but from 1951 designated as the
National Gallery[7]. It hasremained locked for several years now,
ostensibly awaiting funds for restoration. Thiswas completed in
1909 and designed by Irwin in the Mughal/Rajasthani style.
Itsexterior is of pink sandstone quarried from Tada in present-day
Andhra. Its entrance isclearly inspired by the Bulund Durwaza,
Fatehpur Sikri.
[8]
A section of the Bank of Madras Building, by Irwin
One of the oldest commercial banks in the country was the Bank
of Madras which laterbecame a part of the Imperial Bank of India,
now the State Bank of India. In 1896 Irwinbegan work on the banks
headquarters on First Line Beach. Constructed at a cost of
Rs300,000 by T Namberumal Chetty, it is Indo-Saracenic in the main,
with Mughalelements thrown in for good effect.
Those were the days when the railways were operated by private
companies and MadrasPresidency was catered to largely by two the
South Indian Railaway Company (SIR)and the Madras and South
Mahratta Railway Company (M&SM). The SIRs station, nowfamiliar
to us as the Egmore Station, was designed by Irwin in 1909. While
it paid tributeto Gothic and the Indo-Saracenic, it was to also
incorporate Dravidian motifs, perhaps afirst in that direction.
In the midst of all this hectic activity, there was time for
sport as well. Irwin was askedto design a pavilion for the Madras
Cricket Club of which he was a member. He was anactive sportsman as
well, excelling in cricket, squash and tennis, besides keeping
aregular stable of racehorses. The Irwin pavilion at the club,
constructed at a cost of Rs10,000 has since vanished, making way
for the vast Chepauk Stadium.
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1. http://sriramv.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/p1010019.jpg
2.
http://sriramv.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/robert-chisholm-the-indo-saracenic-man/
3.
http://sriramv.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/robert-chisholm-the-indo-saracenic-man/
4.
http://sriramv.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/robert-chisholm-the-indo-saracenic-man/
5.
http://sriramv.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/the-high-court-campus-needs-a-makeover/
6.
http://sriramv.wordpress.com/2008/12/04/the-national-gallery-chennai/
7.
http://sriramv.wordpress.com/2008/12/04/the-national-gallery-chennai/
8. http://sriramv.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/p1010029.jpg
9. http://xsreal.com/blog/?p=141
10. http://wordpress.com/about-these-ads/
Another Irwin creation was on Mount Road and this was the
showroom of TR Tawker &Sons, famed Gujarati jewellers. This
later changed hands several times finally cominginto possession of
the LIC, which demolished the ornate structure for modern
highrisein the 1980s.
Ironically, the work for which Irwin is chiefly remembered today
is not in Chennai. Hiscrowning glory was the construction of the
Amba Vilasa Palace in Mysore on which workbegan in 1897 and ended
in 1912. Immortalised by the Dasara celebrations, this isIrwins
most famous work. When this was completed, Irwin retired to Ooty,
where hedied in 1921. His buildings live on to speak of his
greatness.
This article appeared in XS Reals blog column
http://xsreal.com/blog/?p=141[9]
About these ads[10]
Tags: Bank of Madras[11], City Palace Mysore[12], Connemara
Library[13], Henry
Irwin[14], High Court of Madras[15], National Gallery[16], T
Namberumal Chetty[17], TR
Tawker and Sons[18]
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11. http://sriramv.wordpress.com/tag/bank-of-madras/
12. http://sriramv.wordpress.com/tag/city-palace-mysore/
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