KARSTEN MIRANDA
karsten@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: At a lengthy virtual public meeting moderated by Charles Correa Foundation (CCF) on Sunday with the consultant Techton BuildCons that is looking after the renovation work of Kala Academy (KA), a range of concerns were raised, many of which surprised the attendees that included architects from across the country. The meeting had a positive outcome as the first step to bridge the communication gap in the work around this prestigious and iconic public building, which was designed by the renowned architect (late) Charles Correa.
CCF had earlier reached out to the consultant Techton BuildCons, who had offered to make a presentation to them. CCF instead decided to have it as a public event to involve the Goan public and the national architects, who have been asking questions about the ongoing work at KA.
At the meeting, Arminio Ribeiro, Managing Trustee of CCF stressed on the architectural and cultural values that make KA a unique and outstanding building. He alleged that over the last 4 decades all repairs to KA have been done in a hurry and to meet certain deadlines of events / functions. He felt that due to short timeframes, it has not been possible to address the structural issues, instead the immediate requirements of refurbishing interiors and painting has taken precedence.
Architect Buland Shukla then made a presentation on behalf of the consultants. Buland agreed to Arminio's point, and said that as the team has been working on KA, they noticed a lot of structural issues that have been concealed under paint. He said that the team of consultants led by Techton are convinced to do a holistic repair and renovation, and pointed out that to start, they have followed the IIT Madras report and are scraping off all the excess non-performing waterproofing. It was pointed out that in some places there are three layers of it, almost 60 cm thick.
Buland giving a broad overview of the other works said they will need to replace some steel and do a chemical treatment in some parts of the slabs and outdoor amphitheatre, for the indoor auditorium, they have designed a solution of perforated pipe and pumps to stop seepage from the ground.
The air-conditioning system will be completely revamped, as the old one has been affected by dampness and is made of materials that no longer meet safety standards, he said. He further added that despite messages floating in social media regarding closing off the structure, they are not planning to air-condition the lobby or put sheets on the terraces and will not seal off the openness of the building.
Buland also pointed out that the acoustical design of the indoor auditorium is not of international standards.
Nondita Correa, CCF Director, explained that the acoustics were completely changed in 2004, allegedly to benefit film screenings for the Indian Film Festival of India (IFFI). She mentioned that the original acoustics had two layers, and was designed by Bolt Beranek and Newman—premier acoustic firm in the world and the pioneers in acoustical engineering. She pointed out that this system designed by them has since been replaced by a single acoustic material.
On this note, Shukla added that the material is just a plaster board and isn't even acoustic material!
Architect Jayoo Patwardhan and Annabel Lopez, who are members of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), observed that the acoustics changed for the worse after the 2004 IFFI works. Journalist Sandesh Prabhudesai further pointed out that the Black Box and the crying room for children also changed for the worse in 2004.
It is to be noted that Herald had exposed anomalies in the 2004 construction as well and has been regularly following up on similar issues regarding KA.
Professor Rabindra Vasavada, the architect behind listing Ahmedabad as a World Heritage site, recommended that before continuing the work, the consultant needs to prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan, which will document the assets of KA and also take into account future maintenance schedules.
Poonam Varma Mascarenhas from International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) India recommended that more detailed presentations be made in the future, on specific topics so the technical stakeholders and interested parties may contribute. She also recommended that the building be restored back to Charles Correa's original design of 1983.
Tahir Noronha from CCF thanked Buland and the consortium of consultants for agreeing to do this as a public meeting. He thanked the Government of Goa for allowing this exchange to happen. He promised the people of Goa who attended the presentation that there would be more similar presentations, and that CCF will post updates on the work, for the people of Goa to see, now that they have finally been granted access to the building.