Town Hall, Visakhapatnam

Town Hall, Visakhapatnam

The Savani Heritage Conservation Pvt. Ltd. is a Mumbai-based executing agency that has restored over 200 heritage structures. Our expertise in the field of heritage led us to retain both structures' authenticity and originality in order to do them justice. The Town Hall and Old Municipal Office project was our very first in the beautiful East Coast Town of Visakhapatnam, and we are grateful to have worked on the Town Hall (TH) and the Old Municipal Office (CMO), which are historic structures with special significance in the hearts of history lovers. The Old Municipal Office building was constructed in the late 1930s by British India as an administrative building, the traces of which can still be seen today in the prison-like rooms on the ground floor.The building was used until 1947, after independence it was handed over to the G.V.M.C., which is now used as a municipal office. Many modifications were implemented during this time period to accommodate changes. This multi-layered fabric creates the story of the building, adding to its heritage and significance. The Old Municipal Office building boasts off its modern structure which is a curios mix of both modern and colonial architectural styles. The structure is typically characterized with the European arch, flat cantilevers occupying equal space and a majestic dome over the central staircase. The structure sits in a site of area of 1.7 acres and is made entirely out of cut stone. The OMO is also one of the first buildings to have a self-supporting steel and concrete enforced roof. The building is designed on a horizontal axis along two corridors. The rooms are placed on either side of these pathways with a central staircase connecting both the axis. One can enter the building either through the central foyer or through a narrow passage in the rear side of the building leading up to the second corridor. All the rooms are opened to either of the one corridor making the building aligned in axial co-ordination. The Town hall building which is also called as 'The Victoria Town Hall' is built by Maharaja of Bobbili between 1901-1904, at that time to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria. The building was inaugurated by R. H. Campbell, Collector and Agent, Visakhapatnam on March 8, 1904. In the period between 1929 and 1942, town hall became the meeting point for freedom fighters and social activists, an epitome of freedom struggle. In 1929, Mahatma Gandhi chose this building as a venue of his speeches. In 1939, Salt Satyagrah was kicked off from the beach opposite the town hall and the event is visited by many leaders like Digumarti Janaki Bai, Digumarthi Venkata Swamy, Tenneti Viswanath and Kalluru Suryam Gupta. The building has also been the stage for many secret meetings held by Gandhi with the leaders from the south. The building also became the platform for many cultural activities. It was in this hall that eminent personalities such as Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, C. V. Raman and Rabindranath Tagore had delivered lectures, Artists like Mangalampally Bala Muralikrishna, M. S. Subbulakshmi and Dwaram Venkataswamy Naldu has made the town hall their stage. We at Savani Heritage Conservation Pvt. Ltd. are grateful to the Commissioner GVMC, the AECOM and citizens of Vizag who have extended their support by being curious in the process of the restoration of the Old Municipal Office and Town Hall.