City-based conservation architect Vikas Dilawari helmed the restoration of the over-century-old Sir Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Institution
The central staircase on its east façade is lit with eastern light and has a three-storey double-height space
It’s a ray of hope, a drop in the ocean to know that conservation stands a chance to be experimented with or be given an opportunity to improve the quality of life and that old, heritage buildings are relevant in the present-day context,” shared Vikas Dilawari, conservation architect, soon after his labour of love, BJPCI (Sir Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Parsee Charitable Institution) conservation project in Charni Road bagged the Award of Merit at the 2024, UNESCO, Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The Abathsahayeshwarar Temple Conservation Project in Thukkatchi, Thanjavur district, won the Award of Distinction, and was the only other Indian entry to win at the ceremony that was announced on December 6 at UNESCO’s regional headquarters in Bangkok.
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The bust of Sir Byramjee Jeejeebhoy
For Dilawari, the most fulfilling aspect of this victory is his 34-year-long association with the institution. “This project has been very close as its association has been for the past 34 years; I have been doing preventive maintenance every year in phases during the summer vacations. Though I am not an alumnus, it felt as if it was my own school, considering my continued association. Last year, after the pandemic, we were fortunate that Virtusa Foundation, as a part of their CSR funding, sponsored the conservation efforts.
Thus, the once-famed philanthropist spirit that built early Bombay manifested itself in the modern era when the charity wing of this global provider of digital engineering and technology services came out in support, and the result of this collaborative effort bore fruit with this win at the highest level. He added that this win proves a point that sensitive repairs and intervention of heritage sites can cater to present-day needs, and still go strong.
The façade once had a direct sea-facing view. The statue of Athena (goddess of learning) holding a lit torch and book, was destroyed and had to be replaced by an identical statue. Few public buildings in Mumbai display a statue atop as their crowning feature. CSMT (formerly Victoria Terminus) is one of them. File Pics
Last November, when this writer had an exclusive walkthrough of the site, post-restoration, visionary BJPCI trustee Rustom Byramjee had stated, “In repairing this grand building, we are doing what Sir Byramjee Jeejeebhoy would have expected of his heirs.” The school building established in 1908, in Gothic Revival style opposite Charni Road station, was founded by the late Sir Jeejeebhoy in 1891. It was mainly to promote education among the economically weaker sections. The campus was designed by Khan Bahadur Muncherji C Murzban, master builder of landmark public buildings. Dilawari told us then that the sensitive engineer factored in the site’s proximity to the sea and created sufficient open space around.
The sacred well on the premise. This building was originally designed for Parsi students to stay in the then-defined native town, north of the Fort. The building was adjacent to the sacred Banaji Atash Behram, of four Atash Behrams on the south side of the old city
When the time came for restorative work, Dilawari and his team worked in tandem with the school’s management, its trustees, past and present principals and staff. The school is operational for 10 months annually, and caters to over 1,400 students; so in the narrow window of two summer-holiday months, intensified by Mumbai's monsoons, restoration work was a challenge. However, they met the deadline by dividing the work into four segments and appointing three separate contractors.
Dilawari summarises the need of the hour in the backdrop of the fast-changing urban-scape, “Mumbai should rely on a good balance of conservation of heritage with sensitive repairs of our old buildings, and planned growth and urban design.”
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