Hearst Tower in Manhattan

Hearst Tower, the headquarters of Hearst Corporation in Manhattan, New York, is the first major building by the celebrated British architect Norman Foster in the US.

Acclaimed as one of the most eco-friendly and energy-efficient skyscrapers in New York, the tower has been designed predominantly with recycled materials.

It starts from the roof where rainwater is collected to be treated and recycled throughout the building. The lights, equipment and appliances not in use beyond a certain period of time are automatically switched off, leading to substantial savings in energy. The building has been awarded a gold rating by the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) scheme.

The rainfall collected on the rooftop is transformed into a three-storey waterfall in the six storey-high atrium on the ground floor. It humidifies the atrium to an acceptable level in an otherwise air-conditioned and dry environment.

But all this has been achieved without compromising the architectural qualities of the building and its response to a sensitive early- 20th century city fabric.

The 46-storey building rises out of the original 1928 Art Deco landmark leaving the old six-storey elevation intact. By doing so, Foster has expanded the meaning of “environmental sustainability”.

It is a lesson for our Heritage Commission, albeit a little late, to save some of the landmark buildings of old Calcutta.

The Heritage Commission and the Urban Arts Commission should identify old precincts and corridors in the city and list the facades and projecting porticoes as elements for preservation. A new set of building rules should be framed so that all notified properties can realise their full potential without having to compromise on the permissible built-up area.

Among many old buildings, which have been demolished in recent times, Dunlop House was among the best in terms of its architecture. The façade of Dunlop House could easily have been retained as a skin attached to the new building constructed a few feet away.

Another important icon was the College Street market which was a landmark not only for its prominent location, but also because it represented the typical north Calcutta architecture of the 19th century and was part of our everyday life.

Dunlop House in Calcutta that can be redeveloped

I am surprised that the same citizens of Calcutta, who cried themselves hoarse against the decisions to build on Rawdon Square or the redevelopment of New Market, chose to remain silent spectators when an icon like the College Street market is being replaced by a monstrosity of the crudest kind.

The Heritage Commission’s work does not stop at just identifying and grading heritage structures. It should also formulate guidelines for redevelopment of old properties within heritage precincts. Facades of important landmarks such as Dunlop House should be retained and attached to the new construction for structural stability.

A set of design guidelines should be prepared for new developments within heritage precincts so that the visible envelopes of the new buildings are sympathetic to the old fabric.

The proposal for Mansion House and Poultry in London by Terry Farrel is a wonderful example of sympathetic contemporary refill in an old, densely built-up area.

To be continued